


Culinary Boy

by Verlerious



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Cooking, Hand Jobs, M/M, Rimming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-06 00:12:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 85,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1100187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verlerious/pseuds/Verlerious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't a stalker. He was just following his high school crush by going to the same college as him. That's what Vincent told himself, anyway as he follows an unsuspecting Cid Highwind to the college of his dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It may not have been his real dream, but it was supposed to be something necessary to make a living. Vincent needed a job, something he was familiar with and didn't mind doing. And then again maybe that was just an excuse he made up in his head to ignore the true answer that lay in his heart. He was doing what any high school girl would do when she had a crush. Granted Vincent wasn't a girl, he was following the same tactics at least. He was going to college to follow the person that made his heart beat like a well tuned drum. The person, a male in fact, that he was after happened to have a thing for machinery. It explained why he went to a certain art college that had a strong focus when it came to anything electronic. It was the perfect place for said male to go to follow his lifelong dream in creating planes and other such things.

As for how it worked out for Vincent well...

"Hey these cookies are awesome as always, Vincent!" Zack, a roommate of his at the college, said. They'd been friends with each other back in high school. Well it was more like Zack had given him no choice in the matter, being the happy-go-lucky guy that he was. The two of them shared the small college room with another of their friends, someone that'd been introduced to him through Zack. The blond male went by the name of Cloud and was about as antisocial as Vincent was...well...except when it came to talking with Zack whom he was shyer around more than anything. At the moment the shy male was currently out of the room and at one of his classes. Much like Zack, Cloud was in training to become a social worker. Ok...so let Zack tell it, they were planning on becoming part of the FBI or some other high paying agency, good luck with that one. So what did Vincent do to prepare for his dream job?

"So how are the culinary classes going?"

"Hm?" Vincent looked up at Zack watching the male eating away the cookies he'd barely given a second glance to since bringing them back to the room. "It is going well."

"Got the girls eating out of your hand already huh?" Zack said laughing slightly at he nibbled on the cookie. In all honesty...yeah...Vincent did have the girls eating out of his hand...or wanting to anyway. It seemed like every day there were more and more girls gathering around the kitchen area to watch him dabbling around in the workings of becoming a chef. At times, it was a little more than unsettling. The same had happened when it came to him being in high school. For some reason, he drew the masses of women to him without even having to do anything or even acknowledge them.

On the one hand, the one person he did try to gain the attention of seemed completely oblivious to him. He knew Cid had his own handful of fans and friends, and there had even been a rumor a few times of him dating a girl. He was the type that was nice to his friends but pretty ornery to everyone else.

"So what's the plan for today?" Zack asked, finishing off the last of the cookies looking like a happy little puppy with a bone. "Cloud and I were thinking of going to a little club I heard about downtown. If you come along, we might be able to get twice the amount of girls to fawn over us."

"I'm going to take a quick shower before heading to bed," Vincent said getting up from the bed as he went to his dresser to get his clothes. "I have class in the morning," he added, not even looking at Zack when he said it, knowing the other had been full intent on figuring out why.

Zack pouted and was probably giving the back of his head the puppy eyes treatment. "Aw come on! It's not even a hard class for you!"

"I'd rather be well rested than fighting to stay awake," Vincent finished off, glancing at Zack before he started for the door. "Try not to make too much noise when the two of you come back." The door was opened, and just like that he was gone slipping out into the hallway and closing the door behind him. He would have given a sigh, but he felt it would have put him a bit out of character. There was another reason for why he wanted to be well rested. He knew Cid, the male who unknowingly had stolen his heart, would also be in that class. It was one of the rare classes they both shared in fact. Yet despite all of that, he'd never gotten a chance to even talk to the other male.

Ok, so it wasn't like he even knew what to say to the guy. They had nothing in common...he cooked...Cid couldn't cook...he liked literature...Cid liked science...he didn't smoke...Cid lived for smoking. In fact, Cid's lacking abilities in the kitchen was the main reason he'd joined the profession he was in now. After watching the millions of times of Cid coming to school with nothing but a bag of potato chips made Vincent determined to cook for him. Well...there was that and the time one of Cid's female friends made him a delicious lunch which, after eating it, Cid had complimented as if it were the best meal on Earth. It had been cute seeing that little grin on Cid's face and the way his eyes seemed to twinkle with ever little bite. It wasn't like Vincent was a stalker; he'd just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Shaking his head to get himself back on track, Vincent headed down the hallway heading for the shower that all the males on that floor shared since females weren't allowed in the male dorms. It was...annoying to be honest. Unless something happened to the shower on their floor, they weren't supposed to go to the other floor's bathrooms. It was stupid, but it did maintain order in its own way. Speaking of order, apparently there was something going on with the showers on their floor. Grunting slightly, Vincent kept going walking past the bathroom giving the closed for cleaning sign a brief glare before he kept going heading for the steps leading down to the next floor. It was a four story dorm building and he was on the third floor.

As he got to the bottom of the steps, he ended up head butting into someone and frowned about to apologize as he rubbed his head before he froze seeing the blond standing in front of him. Of all the people to run head first into, it had to be the same blond he'd followed to college just to get closer to him. Luckily, the blond hadn't seen him yet and he was tempted to move away but was too late as one, solid blue eye peeked open looking directly at him, the pain being reflected there.

"Ow...shit..." Cid cursed out in a hiss, holding his aching head between his hands. "Fuck...you have a hard head."

Well...it wasn't like Cid's head was a pillow. Not that he'd tell him that considering. Actually, shouldn't he be apologizing to him? Who ran into whom first? How in the world did this come about anyway? This wasn't how he'd planned on meeting Cid. Granted, the thought of running into Cid even though it resulted in head butting did make him pretty happy inside. But even thinking that, Vincent was still able to keep his facial expression blank, even with his heart beating a mile a minute.

"Hm?" Cid blinked staring at him hard and frowning making Vincent feel a bit on the nervous. Well...this definitely didn't make him feel any more comfortable. Hell, now he could understand how those girls who confessed their undying love to him must have felt. Granted he couldn't return the feeling and more often than not either glared at them, flat out walked away, or gave a quick and abrupt no to the questions they had. Needless to say, he had a lot of girls running away from him crying. Now he was starting to feel bad for it. What if the same thing happened to him? Well not that he'd running away crying or anything. Speaking of running away...

"I have to go," Vincent said taking this as the perfect chance to escape before he got himself in too deep with the man in front of him. Or at least, he thought he was going to get away until he felt the hand grabbing his wrist, the warm, coarse fingers freezing him to the spot and making him look down staring at the hand connected to his wrist and following it up to the big blue eyes staring at him.

"Wait, don't I know you from somewhere?" Cid asked him, making Vincent have to look away from the lips talking to him and try to process what was said.

"I went to Chocobo High," Vincent said quietly, wondering how much of a hint that was to the blond. Would the blond even put two and two together?

As long as he doesn't figure out the real reason I'm here...

"Now I remember you!" Cid yelled letting go of Vincent's hand and pointing a finger at him. "You're fucking...crap what was your nam-Vinco!"

"Vincent," he corrected not sure if he should feel happy that Cid remembered him or frustrated that he got his name wrong.

"Well, it's good I get to see a somewhat familiar face here." Had the guy even heard a word he said? "The name's Cid by the way."

"I know," Vincent said frowning at how quickly he said it, hoping he didn't sound like some crushing girl. No, he was just a crushing guy, that's all. Cid stared at him for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh.

"Heh, guess you would. Not a surprise, I guess." Cid grinned as he rubbed behind his head. "I did make some pretty weird shit back then." That was true in some ways. Cid was a creator even back then, though there were times that the school had to be evacuated thanks to Cid's inventions blowing up. "So, where you off to now? I'm actually getting ready to take a shower myself." Vincent hadn't noticed the towel draped over Cid's shoulder earlier. Noticing it now he could feel his nerves getting to him and quickly turned so Cid wouldn't see the towels in his own hand. Oh hell. There was no way he was going to be getting naked in the same bathroom as Cid. "I just finished. I was heading back to my room to rest."

"Alright then," Cid said grinning like an idiot. "See ya later, Vinco!"

"Vincent," he corrected again then grunted seeing Cid was already going into the restroom. Well, his best option was to just walk around the school and just hope that Zack and Cloud were already gone when he got back or head back now and get stuck being taken to the club. He decided to take his chances on walking around, not wanting to hang out at one of those loud, cheesy, smelly, clubs. Maybe he could go to the kitchen and try out making some new dishes.

He'd time it to about an hour then go get his shower later. He tried not to blush thinking about Cid lathering himself up in the shower and quickly made his way to towards the kitchen to help get his mind off these not so unpleasant thoughts.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Hey guys! I just met someone from my old high school!" Cid yelled out grinning like an idiot as he burst into the room looking at his roommates Reno and Rude.

"Who?" Reno asked, looking up from the computer he was sitting at and lifting up one side of his headphones to hear Cid. From the look of his swollen eyes, he'd been staring at the monitor for a while now.

"This guy named Vinco who used to go to Chocobo High with me. I didn't think it was fucking possible that I'd meet someone here of all places," Cid said grinning proudly obviously happy to have someone from his school there, even if he didn't really know the guy all that well.

"Do you know why he's here?" Rude asked, reclining on the bed by Reno's computer reading a book about automobile designs. Despite having only known each other for about a week now, they all seemed to hit it off quickly since everyone was pretty much in the same major. Cid had always been the type to make friends quickly. From the looks of it, Reno was the same way and apparently was childhood friends with Rude. The two of them planned on opening up an automotive shop back in their hometown. Cid, on the other hand, wanted to do bigger things with his skills. It wasn't just about cars for him.

"Nope! I just fucking ran into him in the hallway…literally," Cid grumbled rubbing his head still feeling the pain. "Never got a chance to ask what his major was. He seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere or something."

"Probably to get away from your smelly ass." Reno laughed putting the headphones back on.

"I just took a bath you jackass!" Cid yelled out glaring and throwing his towel at the back of Reno's head. His roommate didn't even react to having the wet towel hit him.

"Sorry, you did just take a bath didn't you?" The apology didn't sound authentic, especially when it was accompanied by the cocky grin on the redhead's face.

Cid grunted as he walked towards his bunk, flopping down in frustration. Damn bastards always had to joke around even though he knew they didn't mean anything by it. At least he'd be going to one of his favorite classes tomorrow, chemistry. This was only the third class of the quarter and their first time doing actual work with chemicals. Who wouldn't be excited?!Well apparently these jackasses.

Still, it was interesting to see the guy earlier with the long black hair. He remembered seeing him walking around the campus before and how interesting his red eyes were. He wanted to ask about them, he really did. But the guy seemed very elusive, like he really didn't want to be bothered with anyone. And Cid hated seeing people like that. If they were nice then they deserved some kind of friend, right? Maybe he could befriend the guy or something. After all he did just find out they went to the same high school. That couldn't just be a coincidence right?

Come to think of it, wasn't he in his chemistry class? Well he'd tried to catch up with him a few times before, but for such a tall guy he had a way of disappearing from sight. How in the world did he do that? Was his presence just that easy to lose? And yet he had girls falling out of his palm thanks to his attractive looks. Still didn't hurt to talk to the guy at least once. He was going to make sure to catch him tomorrow before he escaped from class. His name was Vinco right? Yeah that's what he'd said. No way was that wrong.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two! And I hope I caught all the typos x.x kept dozing while proofing this.

Chemistry Class. It wasn't like it was his favorite subject or even one he was fond of. But he knew it was a class that Cid really enjoyed going to, probably for the excuse to be able to mix things together even if they most times resulted in something blowing up. But that's what college was for, right? To learn to do things right?

So Vincent felt both excitement and bored with the idea of going to Chemistry class. He was excited he'd get to see his infatuation in person even if the guy could barely remember him. But he was bored of the idea of listening to compounds and equations and the list of different types of gasses. He sat at the back of the classroom, far enough away that he didn't draw attention as he stared in Cid's direction somewhere towards the middle of the classroom.

The blond stayed very attentive as he stared up towards the teacher before looking down writing in his notebook. He was completely oblivious to the unique red eyes staring at him, watching him work. Vincent didn't mind, enjoying the little details of Cid like the small stubbles on his chin like he was trying to grow a beard. He liked the way the other's eye twitched when he didn't like something or how he'd get a little frown and silently curse before he was erasing whatever it was he just wrote down.

Vincent, on the other hand, was busy trying to decide what type of cake someone like Cid would like. He'd written out a list of different types of cakes from carrot cake and German chocolate cake to red velvet and pineapple upside down cake. He wasn't really sure why he was even bothering considering he'd be too chicken to even think about giving some to Cid. He'd gotten lucky to meet the guy yesterday but really, what could he say to the guy? "Here, I don't know you very well but I made this for you." Yeah, that was as much of a confession as just flat out saying "I really like you."

He hadn't even noticed that class was over until the bell rang and people started gathering up their stuff to leave. He looked up at the board seeing what homework they had to get done before annotating it on his little notes and putting his supplies into his bag. He had a couple of hours for break before he needed to get to his culinary class. When he got up from his seat, he looked up to see that Cid had already vacated before he sighed and followed suit on the idea of leaving class. Wouldn't do him any good to just sit around in class all day. So as he stepped out he started for the dorms, planning on using the dorm kitchen to make himself something to eat.

"Yo Vinco, wait up!"

Vincent blinked and stopped turning around to see the slightly shorter blond jogging up to him. Cid paused in front of him grinning at him with a kind of boyish charm that made Vincent glance away for fear of his cheeks turning red.

"So we're in the same class, huh?" Cid said laughing out a little bit. He had his book bag slung over one shoulder verses the shoulder bag that Vincent preferred for himself. "You have any more classes after this?"

Vincent hesitated before he answered him. "I'm going to my culinary class in two hours." He thought he saw the blue eyes lighten up at that.

"Whoa, so you're going to be a chef?"

"We're just doing desserts this semester," Vincent said.

"Still not bad though," Cid said and chuckled as he reached up rubbing behind his head. "Bet you make some pretty badass cookies too, huh?" Vincent stared at him not sure why he felt like this man was just so…perfect to him.

"I can make you some," Vincent said a little eagerly then cursed himself at the funny look that Cid gave him. "If you want…or…lunch." Vincent glanced away digging the hole deeper. Well this wasn't going out the way he wanted. Did Cid think he was some strange weirdo now?

"…Sounds good," Cid said breaking the awkward silence. Vincent blinked and looked at him again seeing the grinning face staring up at him. "Besides, I'm pretty fuckin' hungry right now anyway." Vincent didn't even realize he'd been holding his breath until he heard those words. He wanted to smile, dance for joy, or some kind of celebration. But instead he just gave a nod of his head and turned around heading towards the dorms with Cid. "So how long have you been cooking for?"

"Since middle school," Vincent said enjoying the small talk and the fact that Cid wanted to know more about him. "When my mother got sick, I took responsibility to take care of feeding my younger siblings."

"Ah I see," Cid said walking beside him with a small frown on his face. "Substitute mother, huh?"

"…Yeah. Just temporarily." Vincent frowned. Well that was one way of putting it. "It's been an…interest of mine since then."

"That's cool," Cid said laughing it up. "Nothing wrong with a man wanting to learn to cook. Must be learning for your girlfriend or something."

And here it was, the moment of truth. It was the perfect opening, the perfect time to confess that he had only one person on his mind and that that person was the very man in front of him. "…I'm not dating one," Vincent said.

"Seriously?" Cid stopped staring at him like he'd just lost his head. "Considering how attractive you are, I'd think you had girls lined up to fucking date you." He laughed again. Boy if he knew how true that was. Wait…did Cid just say he was attractive? "Not that I'm saying I'm into guys or anything. Just saying you look like you could pick up a lot of girls. If you were a chick, I'd probably date ya." …Fuck.

"I'm only interested in one person," Vincent said.

"Really? Who? Someone here or someone back from our old school?" He could tell Cid was waiting to hear it. Since they went to the same high school, he assumed that Cid was waiting to see if it was someone he knew. How strangely ironic that the person Cid wanted to know about was actually himself.

"…Looks like we're here," Vincent said changing the subject. "Is there anything you want in particular?"

"I'm open for anything," Cid shrugging his shoulders. "It's not hard to please me." Oh how Vincent knew that. He'd seen Cid about die over a wrapper contained honey bun. What would he do if he knew that Vincent could make the same thing only better tasting and fresh?

"I don't have much time left till my next class," Vincent said leading them to the kitchen. "What about a turkey sandwich?" He glanced back at Cid who had this look on his face like he was asking if he was serious.

"Whatever you have time for." Cid lifted a brow at him. "Sure you don't want me to just make it myself?"

"Just have a seat," Vincent said keeping himself from rolling his eyes as he went about pulling out the ingredients with his name on them. A pack of fresh cut deli meat he'd gotten from the day before was pulled out of the fridge along with onions and other small fixings. He paused to ask if Cid was allergic to anything and at the simple no he chopped the onions up starting to sauté them in butter. Next he started chopping up the turkey meat before tossing it in.

It was followed next by other ingredients ranging from teriyaki sauce, Worchester sauce and red wine vinegar to pepper and oregano. Two fresh cuts of bread that he'd made yesterday were placed in the toaster while the meat marinated in the sauce on the stove. When all the juices were baked into the meat he placed a slice of provolone cheese on top letting it melt until it were nice and gooey. Meanwhile he took the time to wash some lettuce and slice some tomatoes.

After that all it took was putting the sandwiches together before he slid one plate over to Cid and took a seat at the table. The kitchen was reserved for the students in the culinary class so he didn't have to worry about his things being stolen or used without his permission. He had his own personal cabinet with a lock on it as well as one of the draws in the fridge. There was also a small fridge upstairs in his shared room where he kept his most important ingredients at.

He saw Cid stare down at the sandwich and swallow like he was trying to keep from drooling. The blue eyes floated back to him staring at him with amazement. "Didn't know a turkey sandwich could get this elaborate." He smiled and grabbed the sandwich taking a bite out of it. "Mmmm god damn fucking delicious!"

Vincent blushed at the compliment, a small smile lifting to his lips in spite of himself. Well at least one of his dreams was coming true. Cid was eating his food. Not just eating it, he was devouring it like it was the last thing he had on earth to eat. Vincent might have had two bites out of his own sandwich before he looked up to see Cid taking the last bite of his sandwich.

"Damn, Vinco, this is good!"

"Thanks," Vincent said wondering if he should even bother correcting the name anymore.

"If you keep cooking like that I might end up falling in love with ya." The eyes seemed so bright to him that he thought he could lose himself in them.

"I wouldn't mind it," Vincent said under his breath before he blinked. Crap…what did he just say? Cid was looking at him funny again. Damn it, he didn't need to mess this up. He was lucky to be allowed this close to the man. There was no reason to chase him away with his obsession with him.

"Hm?" Cid was staring at him. "What'd you say, Vinco?"

"…Nothing," Vincent said getting up from the table and heading over to the cabinet. "Would you like some water?"

"Yeah that's fine." He glanced back watching how Cid was eyeing his sandwich like he wanted more of it. "Some beer would be better but I'm sure you don't have any of that here."

"I don't," Vincent said coming back over to the table and setting the two glasses of water down. "…Did you want half?"

"Huh?" Cid looked up at him blinking before he started to grin. "Ya serious? You gonna give me half of that bad boy?"

"I'll end up having to test taste in class anyway. I need to save the space."

"Sounds like you really like cooking, huh?" Cid's eyes practically salivated over the half of the sandwich placed on his plate.

"Not really…" Vincent said choosing his words carefully. "Just for someone special."

"Someone special huh?" Cid swallowed the mouthful in his mouth and took a swig of the water before he looked up at Vincent with a smirk. "Talkin about that girl you mentioned earlier?"

"…Something like that, yes." Well it wasn't like he ever officially admitted to it being a girl. But whatever seemed to rock Cid's boat. "But moving past that," Vincent set both his hands down on the table staring down at the blonde whom he hovered over now. "If you want, I can cook lunch for you …it'll be good practice." He tacked the last part of that on, taking care to not make the whole situation seem too awkward even if he was starting to look down at his sandwich in embarrassment.

"Really? You'd do something like that for me?" Cid hadn't stopped grinning since he'd taken a bite of the sandwich. "Hell, it's definitely better than that crap they serve at the dining hall." He pulled out his phone, something that made Vincent lift a brow up in curiosity. "What's your phone number?"

"…." Everything was advancing pretty swiftly in his opinion. He hadn't even realized he gave out the number out of reflex until he saw Cid close up the phone.

"Alright then, do you need help cleaning up?"

"No…I have everything taken care of here."

"Alright." Cid grinned standing from the table. "See ya around, Vinco."

"….Vincent."

"Hm?" Cid blinked and turned around looking at him. "What's that?"

"Vincent…" he repeated turning his red eyes up to look at Cid, and swallowing slightly at how strongly the blue eyes seemed to be watching him. "My name. It's Vincent. Vincent Valentine."

"…Vincent, huh?" Somehow the smile on Cid's lips turned more genuine after that. "Then I'll see you later, Vincent." And just like that he was gone, disappearing out of the kitchen and off to whatever it was he had to do for himself. And Vincent couldn't help staring after him before he sank back down to the chair finally starting to feel the effects of disbelief in his body. He'd talked to Cid. He'd actually talked to him and gotten him to eat his food.

Vincent couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face as he stared down at his half eaten sandwich. The guy was amazing, more amazing than he'd expected. He'd even asked to have Vincent's phone number…granted he wasn't into guys. But at least he was willing to hang out with Vincent. He frowned as he looked down at his phone. He forgot to get Cid's phone number in return. Great…meant he'd have to wait for the other to call him first. It wasn't like he had many numbers in his phone in the first place. Just his mom, Zack, and…well that was it. He seriously needed to make more friends.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed this part. XD

His culinary class finished before he knew it. He found himself walking out with about six things of wrapped up brownies. Strange how he wasn't really into eating sweets even though he cooked them. He knew that Zack would take care of it when he got back, both he and Cloud. He never would have taken Cloud to have such a sweet tooth. He was about as bad as Zack when it came to the snacks Vincent brought back.

Honestly, Vincent was glad that the class was over. He'd spent most of it going into a daze and had to catch himself several times from mixing ingredients wrong. He had Cid on the brain, like an addiction in his bloodstream. He could still see the happiness reflected there when Cid first got a taste of his cooking. It didn't compare to the look he'd only ever imagined. Even better, Cid had asked for his phone number. Not that he was going to go running around squealing like some chicken with its head cut off.

He just wasn't the type to show his happiness no matter how much he might feel it on the inside. No one seemed to take notice of the internal change going on inside of him. So honestly, he couldn't say he'd given himself away about his thundering heart. No one said his cheeks looked flush. No one said he looked like a man in love. He wasn't giggling like a school girl nor was he flaunting his chest like a school boy. He was still just being himself, for better or for wor-

"There's something different about this brownies."

"…What?" Vincent frowned looking over at Zack who was lying on his back. He had a small frown as well as he looked up at Vincent still chewing on the brownie in his mouth.

"I said there's something different about these brownies."

"…Like what?" What did he do wrong? He hadn't changed anything from last time. The same ingredients with the same number of eggs, same cup of water, and everything else needed. It hadn't changed since he'd left home. So what could be wrong with it?

"Like…I don't know…different." Zack shrugged at he took another bite of it. "Almost like you're adding something more to it." But he wasn't adding anything else to it.

"It doesn't taste bad though," Cloud said from the bunk above Zack, his legs dangling off the side as he finished eating his share of brownie. "Actually, it tastes even better than usual."

"Yeah, that!" Zack grinned at him. "It's like…I don't know, like you have this secret ingredient that you added to the mix. It just makes it taste more…yummy."

"…I don't understand." Vincent frowned staring down at the brownie. He'd test tasted it after he cooked it. It had tasted the same to him. What could be different? "I haven't added anything new to the mix at all."

"…The power of love?" Vincent stared at Cloud like a deer caught in headlights. What did love have to do with making desserts? No, more important than that. Did Cloud know what was going on inside Vincent's head? Why would he even suggest something like that unless he did?

There was a brief moment of silence after Cloud said the words before Zack burst into laughter. "Seriously, Cloud? Love? Do you really think someone like Vincent would feel anything for well…anything?" Vincent frowned. He wasn't that antisocial.

"I-I'm not saying it has to be a person," Cloud spoke up quickly, looking at Vincent as if trying to change the words. "I mean…how do I explain it? Maybe a good grade in class?"

"Dude, really. Vincent always gets good grade." Zack smirked looking up at Cloud as he peeked his head out. "Try again."

"Finding a lost kitten?"

"Why are we analyzing me?" Vincent cut in not letting the game go on longer for his own comfort's sake. "Apparently something must have slipped into the mix and caused it to taste differently." Vincent opened up his miniature fridge before he grunted seeing that his favorite juice was missing. "I'm going out to the store. Don't wait up."

"Get some milk too?" Zack said rolling over and focusing his blue eyes on Vincent. "I don't want to eat dry cereal in the morning."

"I'll think about it," Vincent said not even listening to Zack's protesting as he went out closing the door behind him and glad to escape the pressure put on him. Of course he'd get the milk. He wasn't mean even if he seemed to act like it. He just wasn't a people person. Was that so wrong? Granted females seemed to like that kind of personality from him. He wasn't sure why that was the case but it was.

The phone buzzed in his pocket and he blinked before pulling it free and looking at it. He wasn't even five minutes away from the dorms. Was Zack trying to give him a list or something?

Cid: Yo, this is Cid. How's it going?

Vincent blinked then blushed staring down at the screen. Right…he did give Cid his phone number didn't he? He'd never gotten a number in return but now with the text, he had the number right in front of him. Each number seemed precious to him, perfect in their own way. Then he thought about the fact that Cid was waiting on a response and slowed down staring down at the screen. The hesitation showed in his shaking fingers. Should he respond to him? Well obviously. Cid had asked him a question right?

Cid: Hello? This is Vincent right? Or maybe you're sleeping now or somethin.

Vincent: I'm here…

Vincent frowned before he started typing more not wanting to leave such a boring response.

Vincent: I'm just on my way to the store.

Nothing else followed the text for a moment. Staring down at the screen, Vincent kept walking. What was taking so long for the reply? The phone buzzed again making him stop in place and look down quickly staring at the words. He swore his eyes got wide as he looked at them, his cheeks reddening a little bit with happiness.

Cid: You don't mind if I go with you, do ya? Kinda need ta pick up some cigs.

It took effort to keep the phone from falling from his hand in shock. Really? Cid wanted to hang out with him? No, he was reading too much into it. Cid just wanted to get some cigarettes. There was no way Cid wanted to just hang out with him for platonic reasons.

Vincent: If you want to.

Cid: Sweet!

The reply was so quick Vincent didn't know what to make of it.

Cid: I'll meet you in front of the dorms then?

Vincent looked back at the school nodding to the air before he shook his head and quickly typed in a quick ok. It wasn't possible to stop his heart from thumping so fast in his chest. It felt like they were going on a date, not that he'd dated before. Then again, it wasn't like this was a date. Cid wouldn't like him like that anyway.

He was nervous but tried not to show it by leaning himself back against the wall like he was waiting. He was only wearing his casual clothes, granted they were pretty dark, dark enough that people mistook him for being Goth quite a few times. He liked his looks though, his style of being tall and dark. His was bundled up in his red jacket to fight off the chill of the night time air. He even had a red scarf wrapped around his neck to hide from the chilly wind trying to blow across the skin. It was getting dark, which made sense since it was like nine at night.

So it felt like it'd been twenty minutes though it'd only been about five when he heard the steps of heavy boots coming towards the dorm entry. Cid stepped out looking around looking all cozy in his brown, zipped up leather jacket. He had his goggles squished up on his head his blond hair back. It was something Vincent always found himself staring at, always wanting to know the story about those goggles or why Cid always wore the worn jacket he was currently wearing, even going so far as to tie it around his waist during warm weather.

Yeah…Vincent really needed to control his stalker like habits. Cid looked around for a minute, frowning as he searched for Vincent before he found him and a grin broke out on his face. It even looked like his eyes had lit up at the sight of him, though that must have been Vincent's imagination.

"There you are," Cid said walking up to him. Staring up at him like this nice, he just seemed so much younger, even with the tattling signs of stubbles growing on his chin; something Vincent was becoming more and more fascinated with. "You ready to go?"

"Uh…yeah." Vincent swallowed looking away as he started to walk pulling his jacket around him more. His lips were hidden behind the red scarf but it at least didn't muffle his voice when he tried to talk. Cid didn't say anything in return as he walked beside him. He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket pulling out his box of cigarettes and paused as he pulled one out slipping it between his lips. Vincent stopped with him turning around to stare at Cid, watching how skillfully he used the light and hid the end of the cigarette behind a hand to light it up. It turned successful when the tip of the cigarette glowed red and smoke started billowing up towards the sky.

The blue eyes shot up to his suddenly freezing Vincent in place as he was caught staring. They didn't look away either, staring deep into his own red ones before he glanced away uncomfortably, tugging at his scarf to pull it up to his nose. Well that was embarrassing.

"Sorry," Cid said starting to walk making Vincent subconsciously walk with him. "With the school's stupid fucking rule about smoking in the dorms, I gotta take advantage of this moment." Vincent gave a nod staying silent. There was something about the way Cid had looked at him that had his blood running on high. He thought he could still feel the heat in his cheeks. "So what are you heading to the store for? More supplies?"

"…For juice," Vincent said being careful not to look over at him again. "I'm buying some juice...and some milk for my roommate."

"Damn, you have the pushy roommates too?"

"…Not really," Vincent said frowning. "He used to go to Chocobo High too."

"Really?" The excitement in Cid's voice made Vincent look over at him catching sight of the grin on the daredevil lips. "Sweet, you're giving me some high hopes about this school. Who's your roommate?"

"Zack Fair," Vincent said easily pushing the name out. He could call Zack his best friend since the guy was the only one he'd been friends with before. That wasn't to say that Zack didn't have a following of friends himself. He was a popular guy back at Chocobo High. And he probably was here at the college as well. Granted Vincent really could care less. It wasn't Zack's life story he wanted to know about. He wanted to know more about Cid.

"Sounds familiar," Cid said slowly as if trying to imagine him. He tilted his head back, smoke seeping between his cracked lips as he thought about it. "Guy with black spikey hair like a chocobo's?"

"That's right," Vincent said nodding his head. Guess everyone knew Zack as much as they knew Cid. "We've been…together for a while." He blinked thinking about the words before he amended them. "Just as friends!" Why did he need to add that in?

Cid chuckled. "Good. I don't think I like the idea of sharing your meals with someone else. I get jealous like that." Vincent almost tripped over his feet at the words. Had that been flirting? No, it couldn't have…because Cid just wanted the food, right? "Looks like our stop."

Vincent looked up at the little corner market receiving only the bright lights of the interior in return. "Looks that way." Cid took his cigarette smothering it up against the brick siding of the store's wall before taking a deep breath looking up at Vincent once more. He sure did seem to like to look at people a lot.

"Let's head in then. It's too fucking cold out here to be just standing around like two idiots." Oh he could agree on that. He was doing everything in his willpower to not fold his arms for contained heat and look like a wimp in front of his fellow college student. The two of them made their way inside, Vincent only pausing to grab a carry cart before moving again. He'd expected to see Cid split up from him to get his loving cigarettes but was surprised to find the guy still following him around. "So who are your other roommates? They go to Chocobo High too?"

It wasn't an unusual question. Unless you were just that lucky, everyone roomed with like two or three other people. He just got lucky that it was just him, Zack, and Cloud at the moment. But that wasn't to say they wouldn't get another roommate soon. "I only have one other roommate," Vincent said stopping by the juice section. Sure, he could probably just learn to make his own juice but sometimes he did like being on the lazy side. "His name's Cloud Strife." Yeah, it took a while for him to remember that last name.

"Oh the blond kid!" Cid said. "Yeah, I have him in my fucking literature class. Can't say I like that damn class for anything." Vincent perked up at the words. Literature was a strong point for him. This could work in his advantage.

"Is it hard?"

"It's more like…it's boring," Cid said grumbling, his eyes flickering down to the juice in Vincent's hand. "I'd rather be making a toy model then reading some stupid shit about a gay ass guy who wants to sleep with some damn skinny, no tits broad that says weird shit and wears some damn, balls hugging tights."

"…You mean Romeo and Juliet?"

"Yeah that!" He seemed glad to know that Vincent knew what he was talking about. Though Vincent honestly had no problem with any of Shakespeare's works. Maybe he was just too old fashion to hate that kind of thing. "And not just that one. That one story Mcbay."

"Macbeth?"

"Yeah and um, fucking…A letter."

"The Scarlet Letter…" Vincent blinked looking up at him finding those true blue eyes coming up to meet his own. "You…really don't like reading do you?"

"Heh? It's not the reading that's the problem!" Cid said sounding offended as he glared at him with the smallest hint of red in his cheeks from embarrassment. He looked cute like that. "It's not my fault they like doing all that thou and shalt and using words I've never even heard of." Vincent couldn't help the small chuckle of laughter that escaped from his lips.

"It's not as bad as you think it is," Vincent said still laughing as he grabbed the milk putting it into the basket next. "It just takes a bit of experience to figure out what they mean."

"This is the first time since I met you that I've ever seen you laugh." Vincent turned around to look at him and froze finding the other staring at him. It was something in his eyes that made the smile that was still on his face from the laughter drop instantly. He cleared his throat looking away quickly to hide his embarrassment, pulling his scarf up to cover his lips before he bit them. "Oh come on, there's no need to go shutting yourself away." A hand slammed down against his back toppling him off balance before he righted himself looking over again and seeing the small grin on Cid's face. "It's a compliment. I think you should smile more too."

"I…I see…" He didn't give him a better answer than that as he started walking. Seriously, what was he going to say to that anyway? "You just need to pick up some cigarettes, right?" He led them in that direction.

"Yeah. The moogle pack. Cause I swear the rest of them taste like shit." Cid was walking beside him again. Vincent gave him a nod even if he had no idea what Cid was talking about. He'd never smoked. Hell he'd never drank before either even if they were still on the young side. But this was usually around the age that people went out and snuck into bars and got themselves drunk and put in jail and stuff. He was starting to wonder if Cid ever drank. Heck, he was wondering if Cid had a girlfriend. He hadn't seen any around the male before but that didn't stop the rumors Vincent heard from getting to him.

Cid tossed the pack into the basket leaving them only to make their way up to the register. Vincent sat the two drinks up first and hesitated before putting the cigs up as well. He was old enough to pay for them, he was sure of that. After the items were rang up, Vincent started to pull out his wallet when he looked over seeing Cid handing the cashier both his driver's license and his check card.

"What are you -"

"Paying you back," Cid said getting his stuff back as he picked up the bags. "Hell, it's nothing compared to that awesome meal you made me." He doubted he could hide the flush in his cheeks at the words. He tried reaching for one of the bags but Cid pulled it out of reach still grinning at him.

"You didn't have to!" Vincent said a little louder, feeling his heart thundering in his chest. "It's not that…you really didn't need to…I-I'll pay you back!" Vincent reached his back pocket pulling out his wallet and started to pull out some cash. When he looked up again Cid was already heading out the door easily leaving the flustered Vincent to stare after him in shock. "Cid, wait!"

Cid paused right outside waiting for the ebony haired male to run up to him before a small smile lifted to his lips. "Wow, first time I've ever heard you say my name since we met." There was a look of wonderment in his eyes, a look Vincent tried to ignore as he took his cash holding it out to Cid. The blond just looked at it before he turned walking away. "I told you don't worry about it. Besides, it's just some fucking juice and milk. It's not like I just bought you a Mercedes or something."

"…E-Even so…" Vincent moved quickly to follow after him. "You shouldn't just dismiss my offer to pay you back." He reached out about to put the money into Cid's pocket before a freed hand came up to grab his wrist startling him and forcing his widening red eyes to look up catching the angry look in Cid's eyes. Why did he have to look so mad? It made Vincent's heart stop. This wasn't how he wanted this to go. The last thing he wanted was to have Cid infuriated with him. He'd seen it before, seen Cid get angry with people. It wasn't pretty.

"Then the fucking same goes to you," Cid said. There was no wavering in those blue eyes that Vincent felt like were trying to burn a hole into his soul. "Just fuckin' except that I fuckin' wanted to do something goddamn nice for you." Cid finally let the wrist go as he grumbled and turned around, his shoulders starting to relax before he spoke again. "I like you." Vincent tensed up at the words. "So I'd like to think we could be friends or something. So just except that I wanted to fucking pay for it because you're my friend."

"…Cid…" Vincent blushed staring at his back, his cheeks reddening even more when he saw the blue eyes peeking over a shoulder at him before Cid grinned at him. "I…want to be your friend too." That was a lie. He wanted more than that. But if this was as close as he'd get, then he'd accept it. Not all things in life could be perfect right?

"That's the spirit!" Cid said. He sat the items down and pulled out the new pack of cigarettes, slipping one between his lips and lighting it up before he looked over at Vincent again. "Let's get back before it gets any fucking later. I'm tired."

"Fine," Vincent said bending down and picking up the bags before Cid could protest. "But I'm carrying these then…since you're my friend." Cid stared up at him in surprise before the grin appeared on his lips again circling around the cancer stick stuck between his lips.

"Fine, you mother fucker. But don't think I won't pay you back for that." He laughed to soften the blow of his words moving to start walking beside Vincent again as they headed back. Vincent couldn't stop himself from smiling and glancing Cid's way every so often. Even if they were just friends, he couldn't help himself from secretly fantasizing that he was on a date with the man of his dreams.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

He felt like he was in a dream world, as if he were sleeping and everything that had conspired was only a figment of his imagination. Even though he was resting in his bed the next day staring up at the empty bunk above him, he swore it had all been a dream. The smell of Cid's cigarettes, the way Cid would smile at him, the bright glow of those ever searching eyes. Everything that happened, the whole walk in the cold or the fact that Cid had actually said he liked him. Yes, that was the kicker that got him. Cid liked him. Maybe not in the dating sense, but at least it was a good sign that they could at least be close friends.

He remembered the cheer in Cid's voice on their way back as he talked about his hobbies like the small model plane he was creating for his modeling class called the Tiny Bronco. He spoke about it like it was his special pet, giving every little detail into the designs and the engine. He wasn't just making a model. He was making a full blown functioning plane. Vincent listened to all of it, inputting words ever so often or sometimes just staying silent except for a small hum in response.

But it was nice, despite the cold. They'd even stood outside the dorm to talk some more, giving Cid plenty of time to get another smoke in and Vincent time to savior this little bit of time together they had left. It was probably about ten o' clock when the two of them split up after an exchange of room numbers. Turned out Cid was actually directly in the room right below them, similar room numbers with one digit changed thanks to the floor they each lived on.

The thought made Vincent blush wondering if Cid was probably lying in bed now too. He wondered what it was the older male was thinking about right now. It was probably his Tiny Bronco. But it didn't hurt to pretend that Cid might be thinking about him. Curling on his side, he looked across from him at the other bunk. The two beds were empty considering that it was Friday and Zack and Cloud both had classes to get to.

Vincent, thankfully only had one class to worry about on Fridays, and that wasn't until three o' clock where he'd have to go to literature class. It was another no brainer for him, something Zack always whined about. Vincent just excessed when it came to school. He couldn't help it. Now if it was a gym class then he'd have some problems. Then again, just going to watch Cid jogging in those tight shorts or lifting weights and showing off those hidden muscles was worth it.

The knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. He pulled himself from the bed stretching a bit giving a grunt against leaving the warmth of his blankets as the chill in the air seemed to hit him pretty quickly. It must have been one of Zack's many friends coming to see if he was in. But then again they should know he had classes by now, right?

Vincent scratched at his head for a second before he unlocked the door opening it up. The blue eyes were the first thing he saw staring back at him before his eyes followed down to the slightly moist lips that seemed to split open into a grin when the man started to speak.

"Hey, guess I was right to think you didn't have an early class today!"

"C-Cid?!" Vincent half hid himself behind the door feeling more than a little indecent in the small boxers and white t-shirt he usually wore to bed. He tried to think of it like any other situation, where he just didn't care because they were just a bunch of men sharing a room. But this was Cid. Cid fucking Highwind. He didn't want to be flaunting his goods around for the young blond to see. "…What are you doing here?" He hoped to Shiva that his cheeks weren't as red as he felt like they were.

"Wanted to see if you wanted to come down and check out the Tiny Bronco," he said it while he was pointing back towards where the stairs were. His eyes took everything in stride, going from Vincent's face on down to where his body seemed to curve behind the door hiding everything from the waist and below. "I uh…didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?" He lifted a brow staring up at him as he rubbed behind his head. "Not jacking one off are you?"

"N…No…" There was no fighting the blush now. "Just, give me one second to get dressed." At Cid's quick nod, he closed the door leaning against it tiredly. What kind of turn of events was this? Sure, he was ecstatic about the fact that Cid wanted to spend more time with him, but did he really need to come right now while Vincent was still launching around lazily in PJs? Cid, Cid, Cid. Why did Cid do this to his brain and turn him into a messy glob of nerves?

He took a deep breath to calm himself, going over to his dresser and fishing out a pair of jeans and a more decent shirt to take the place of the one he was currently wearing. Jeans easily fit over the short boxers and he zipped up before slipping on the freshly cleaned t-shirt. It only took a few minutes to slip on some socks and sneakers and brush out his hair before he was at the door again opening it up. Cid perked up from his spot beside the door, offering out a smile to him.

"So ready to head down?" Vincent gave him a nod before the two of them started for the stairs. "I see your roommates are out today, huh? Classes?" Cid glanced over at him when he asked.

"Yeah," Vincent said fighting off his nervousness as he walked beside the short blond. "They have morning classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I just have one class those days."

"Interesting." Cid nodded his head taking everything into account. "What class you got today?"

"Literature," Vincent said giving a barely noticed nod of greeting to a couple of guys walking past them. "Then I usually go by the cooking hall to practice some bakery."

"Interesting times two," Cid said grinning. "My fucking literature class is the same days too. Fucking three o'clock."

"Same here." Vincent blinked staring over at Cid. Same classes but different teachers. If he'd only been lucky enough to pick the right one, he'd be in the same class with Cid.

"So how about after class, we meet up?" Cid stopped in front of the door to his room looking up at Vincent. "It gives me a chance to check out the cooking hall and I can test taste the goods you bake."

"It's going to be boring," Vincent said staring at him trying not to be swallowed up by the sparkle of blues. "There's a lot of time and patience needed for this."

"What the fuck you think I need for mechanics?" Cid said laughing. "Fuck, I'd pull my hair out if I didn't damn well need it. Damn thing with all those fucking tiny screws. It takes a hell of a lot of patience."

Vincent found himself relaxing more as he smiled at him in return. It was getting real easy to smile it seemed. Though he noticed he really only ever did it around Cid. Maybe because to him Cid was something special?

"Fine then," Vincent said. "Don't whine when you start falling asleep from boredom."

"Honestly, I just don't think I can get bored around you." He said the words so seriously, that it made the smile drop from Vincent's face as he tried to figure out what the words meant. But he didn't get the time to analyze it fully as the door was opened and Cid burst inside yelling with his bellowing voice. "You fuckers get the hell off my bed!"

"Hello to you too, sweetheart." Sweetheart? Vincent frowned following Cid into the room catching sight of the two roommates that were practically lying all over what must have been Cid's bed. The two of them were staring at the TV looking like they were in the midst of a very extreme fighting game.

Cid stopped when he was beside the bed turning around to look at Vincent as he gestured his hand out towards the two dominating his space. "Vincent, meet the Jackasses. Jackasses, this is Vincent."

"Hey hey, what the hell kind of greeting is that, yo?" The game paused as the male with red hair lifted his lazy eyes up to look at Vincent's face. He almost looked like he'd just woken up from a really good nap. Did he always look like this? "Name's Reno, yo." He pointed a thumb over to the man launching beside him. "This here is Rude. Nice to finally meet the great Vinco that douchebag here's been talking about. You two dating yet?" He seemed to grin when he saw the embarrassment coming over Vincent's face. Gladly, Cid saved him from having to give an answer to that question.

"His name's Vincent, you fuckhead."

"Says the dumbass that got his name wrong the first time, yo." The bald male named Rude chuckled at the insult before the two of them started playing again.

"I swear you fuckers…."

"So he convinced you to come see that dumb plane of his?" Reno asked, not pulling his eyes away from the TV again. "He might as well just call it his girlfriend."

"I ain't got time for you pricks right now." He grumbled under his breath before turning his eyes to Vincent. Whether he took note of Vincent's discomfort or not wasn't notice as he gestured to the top bunk of the bed. "There she is. She's a beaut even if she is incomplete." Vincent cut his eyes away from his crush, looking up to the top bunk where he could just barely see the propellers. It was a rather large size but seemed like it'd be easy to get through the room door. There were wirings and other miscellaneous things hanging out of her interior like Cid was still constructing her insides. "Haven't gotten her to run yet, but I can tell I'm getting close."

"It looks good, Cid." It looked like the real thing minus the metal was still unpainted. He could tell he put a lot of time and detail into it, from the lights on the front to the little person sitting on the inside like he was the pilot. In fact the pilot almost looked like a miniature Cid.

"Ya think so?" Vincent glanced down at him and swore it looked like Cid was blushing. But he looked proud of his work and happy for the compliment that it seemed he rarely got from anyone. How could they not compliment such hard work? He had every thought in his mind that Cid would succeed with this. "I'm working on making it run off solar power. That way I ain't gotta worry about the whole needing gas issue and shit."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the finished work," Vincent said touching the precious metal gently. He missed the look of surprise that passed over Cid's face or the way that look changed into something else altogether. "Breakfast?"

"Hm?" Cid blinked shoving his hands into his pockets. "You cook breakfast too?"

"Yeah," Vincent said. "Nothing big." Hell sometimes he didn't feel like making stuff from scratch. It took a lot of time and work and sometimes a few nights of sitting in the fridge that he didn't feel like being bothered with. "Just pancakes and eggs this morning."

"Hell, I'm game," Cid said grinning as he walked with Vincent to the door.

"Vincent, if you keep spoiling him like that, he's going to start thinking that you're his house wife," Rude said keeping his eyes on the TV as well. If he only knew how happy his words made Vincent feel inside. Minus the wife part of it, being there to cook every day for Cid would be a dream come true for him.

"Not like Cid has a girlfriend anyway, yo," Reno said shrugging his shoulders. "Let him have his fun."

"Hey for your information, I do have a girlfriend!" Cid yelled back pointing at the two of them. "And you two better not mess with her sweet body while I'm gone either!"

"Don't worry, we won't touch your girl," Reno said grinning. The three of them burst into laughter leaving Vincent completely clueless to what was going on. Did Cid have a girlfriend or were they referring to the plane still? It was getting hard to figure out. He'd have to learn the answer another time. Right now he had some breakfast he needed to make.

But even though the two headed down to the kitchen, he spent the whole time thinking about it even through breakfast. He seriously hoped it was the plane. The last thing he needed was to be glaring every time the girl of Cid's dream came by to see him. Ugh, he'd probably just hide in a corner somewhere if that happened. It sure beat having to deal with some annoying woman trying to befriend him while he was busy fawning after her boyfriend.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Literature class couldn't end quicker for him. Vincent swore it was the first time he found himself tearing out of his chair to be the first one out the door. He received a few weird looks from the others in his class but they were ignored in favor of meeting up with Cid. And just as he expected, Cid was just coming out of his classroom when he looked up and smiled heading in Vincent's direction.

He lifted up his hand to wave and the timing couldn't be more wrong as Cloud came out of the classroom as well, happening to see the wave as he started to head over too thinking Vincent wanted to talk to him. Well, it wasn't like he was inviting him to eat more snacks or anything. Besides, he really did like Cloud. He was nowhere near as peppy as Zack was. And it was only fair that he introduce Cid to his roommate like he'd met the blonde's.

"Cid," Vincent said waiting until he was closer before he gestured to blond with his spikey hair. "I want you to meet my roommate, Cloud. He's good friends with Zack."

"Nice meeting ya," Cid said holding out his hand.

"Likewise." Cloud grabbed his hand in return giving it a shake before he lifted questioning eyes towards Vincent.

"He goes to my chemistry class." Cloud's eyes seemed to light up at that moment. Whether a good thing or not, Vincent found himself frowning. "He also used to go to my old high school."

"Ah, so he probably knows Zack then." The understanding shined in those eyes making Vincent question what Cloud was seeing here. But then he was walking away waving his hand over his shoulder at the two of them. "Sorry for running off. Zack and I are supposed to be working on a class project."

"So, off to the cooking hall?" Cid said turning to look at Vincent not even giving Cloud time to get away before he was saying it.

"Yeah," Vincent said sighing and glancing back catching sight of a few girls giggling and watching him. He was happy that it was only about three of them today. With two popular guys like this, it was bound to be worse later. The girls always knew he went to cook on his time off. They waited for it then begged for the sweets afterwards after he made them.

"A little stalkerish, aren't they?" Cid said glancing back seeing some of the girls peeking around a corner of the building after them.

"I'm used to it," Vincent said keeping his stride. It was like second nature, this attention he didn't want. He hated it at first, but now it was just second nature, something he'd grown accustom to. As long as they didn't touch him or do anything to him, he didn't care. He still had the safety of the dorms to rely on should he need the escape.

Cid continued following after him all the way into the room where they closed the door. It took the simple act of closing up all the windows to give them the privacy he wanted with Cid. He tried not to think about the idea that they were closed in a room together. Instead he pulled out pots and classroom ingredients, going about making the mixture for the cupcakes he was going to make. Flour, eggs, and milk along with vanilla extract, butter, and sugar were all he needed for this basic part of the cake creation. While he was setting up the pans and turning on the oven to preheat it, he was surprised that his fingers didn't shake. Cid was watching his every move, like it was some kind of TV cooking show. He doubted the blond was actually keeping track of everything he did.

He watched through the combining, the mixing, and even through the pouring before they were stuck inside of the oven. It was a little quiet for Vincent's taste but he kept his focus on cleaning up all the dishes while he waited for the cupcakes to bake.

"You're really good at that."

"Hm?" Vincent looked up at Cid, arms covered in suds from the soapy water in the sink.

"At the whole baking thing and shit." Cid gestured in general to the kitchen. "Hell, I can't even cook two pieces of toast without burning the whole house down."

"It's really not that hard," Vincent said rinsing out the bowl before he started up drying it. "I can probably teach you how someday." He hadn't really expected the answer that came in response to his words.

"Really? You'd do that?" Vincent glanced over, sitting the bowl down staring at the blue eyes that were watching him. In that moment, he felt like the most amazing person in Cid's eyes, the look of complete amazement igniting a spark to Vincent's heart. But then again maybe he was just imagining that look. It could have just been the play of the lights hitting Cid's eyes.

"Yeah…" The word came out slowly from his lips as he frowned slightly looking at the sink again. Why was he torturing himself like this? Having this unreal dream of Cid being interested in him? Like Cid would give the time of day towards a guy when he could have himself any pretty college girl in the school. They liked smart guys…and so did he. Or at least this particular one anyway.

The blaring sound of the oven's timer going off startled him before he moved quickly. The cupcakes came out popping hot, smoke easily seen wafting off the tops of the golden brown crust. He removed them from the baking tray setting them to the side to let them cool. He had a feeling that Zack and Cloud would have a field day with these. But he wondered if Cid wanted to take some back for his own roommates as well. There certainly were plenty of them.

"Damn this is fucking scrumptious!" Vincent looked over at the outburst blushing watching Cid down about half the cake in one go.

"W-Wait! You need to let it cool first then we need to-"

"It's fine," Cid said around a mouthful of cake before he ate the rest of it. He swallowed with a loud gulp, his mouth opening with a very satisfied sigh before he looked over at Vincent. "The best way to fucking taste something is in its basic form." He'd never heard a saying like that before. It made sense, at least when it came to foods like this. Wasn't it best to make sure the cake tasted good itself before smothering it in creamy flavors? What if it was too sugary? The icing would just be overkill.

Vincent wasn't a really big sweets person himself, but the class demanded it. He knew how to make cakes and other sweet things thanks to making them for his younger siblings. Was he not testing his foods enough? What kind of chef would he be if he were unwilling to taste the foods he created, to not just say "this is cake" but to truly say "this is my creation."

Looking down at the rows of mini cakes, he reached down randomly grabbing one and started pulling away the wrapping. With the mildly cooled cake in hand he leaned down and took a bite. Like a marching band gone mad, the flavors danced across his tongue in perfect symphony. He didn't think it was possible to taste just about every flavor there was. There was the hint of butter along with the flavor of vanilla extract and sweet sweet sugar.

Cloud's words from yesterday rushed through his head as he looked down at the cupcake. He'd said it tasted differently, like there was something added to it. And now that he tasted it again, it was different. Not overly noticeable, and not a bad kind of different but it was there. But what was the change? What could make these sweets come out tasting even…sweeter?

"You must really like that girl," Cid said grabbing another cupcake as he started eating it. "Damn things got a lot of love put into them."

The cupcake slipped from Vincent's hand to the counter, but it went unnoticed as he stared at Cid, eyes looking like Cid just grew another head. "What?"

Cid shrugged his shoulder looking at the cupcake with a frown at the waste. "You know the fucking saying. You should always cook your food with love otherwise it will never reach perfection."

"L-Love? Cid, that's not…there's no way that's-"

"I mean you really like this girl, right?"

"Y…Yeah…" Gods…could his face burn any hotter than this?

"So that means you're doing everything in your power to make this stuff taste great. You're fucking beating the shit out of the batter, throwing in the perfect amount of fucking dash, and giving it damn perfect baking time. And you're using the power of your fuckin love to make it happen."

"Can we talk about something else?" Vincent said quickly, pulling his eyes away from the stare.

"Geez, you're so damn sensitive," Cid said grumbling. He had a cig between his lips, a sign that he was ready to go and to get a smoke in. "I hope the fucker knows how lucky a son of a bitch they are to get to eat your food."

"I think they do," Vincent said in reply. They lapsed into a silence as Vincent put the cupcakes away in two separate containers giving one of them to Cid. He'd take the other one back for Zack and Cloud to eat on. He was about to pick up the dropped cupcake only to have it snatched out of his hands by Cid.

He couldn't even stop him, staring at him with widening eyes as Cid took a bite out of the cupcake. It was like receiving an indirect kiss and it was killing Vincent's poor virgin soul. He was surprised he didn't pass out when Cid looked over at him and smiled with a wink of his eye.

"Can't let this bad boy go to waste, right?"

"Yeah…"Vincent swallowed watching him before quickly grabbing up his container heading for the door. He tried to get the image of Cid licking his lips clean out of his head, blushing as he heard Cid moving around behind him. "We should head back. It's getting late."

He wasn't sure if Cid picked up on his discomfort or not but the rest of the way back to the dorms was a quiet one. It seemed uncomfortable to him, especially since he'd glance back to find Cid following him with a small frown on his face as he stared towards the ground, smoke billowing out from the lit cigarette. Was he contemplating something? Vincent wanted to ask but he couldn't get the words to come out of his mouth. It seemed to happen so suddenly that it must have been because of him right?

When they got back to the dorms, Vincent stopped in front of the stairs leading up to their rooms and turned around looking at Cid. He saw the blue eyes look up at him confusion, so attentive that he almost lost his nerve to speak.

"Is…everything ok, Cid?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Why do you ask?" He really looked like he was curious.

Vincent glanced away. "You're just really quiet. I was wondering."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cid chuckled, the cig long gone from his lips. "Just trying to figure out how I can convince you to go with us tomorrow."

Vincent blinked lifting a brow. Go with them? "Go where and with whom?"

"Eh." Cid shrugged his shoulders. "The two jackasses upstairs like to go clubbing on Saturday nights. Figured I'd see if you wanted to join us since those two get drunk so quick it's boring."

"…I'm not sure…" He wasn't a big club goer, even if he had been forced to go with Zack and Cloud a few times now. Besides, wouldn't he be intruding on their fun? Like the fourth wheel? He wanted to ask how old Reno and Rude were to be able to get drunk at a club. They had to be at least twenty-one to even buy it, right?

"You can invite your roommates too if it'll help you feel more comfortable."

"…" Vincent sighed staring at the pleading eyes and finding it hard to say no to them. Besides, shouldn't he want to spend more time with his crush who didn't like him like that? "Fine. Just no drinking for me. I'm underage anyway."

"That's cool, same here," Cid said grinning. "Though I'm not going to lie and say I've never gotten drunk before but well…I'll save that story for another day." He chuckled and bounded past Vincent on up the steps. Vincent blinked before he followed him up, unable to keep his eyes from staring at Cid's ass. "So see you tomorrow, right?" Vincent's eyes quickly flickered up to Cid's eyes.

"Uh…yeah…" Vincent stopped beside him looking down the hallway. "Tomorrow."  
That's it for this chapter. I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter. Considering that it's a club, you can expect there to be some hotness. XD

"I'll call you once we're ready to leave," Cid said nursing the container of cupcakes to him. "So dress in your best club wear and leave your phone on, got it?" He didn't even wait on Vincent's response before he was heading for his room with a wave over his shoulder of farewell. Sighing, Vincent continued on to his own room to deliver his treats to his roommates and hopefully get a quick shower before he got some rest. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day and an even more fascinating night.

TBC….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter. I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter. Considering that it's a club, you can expect there to be some hotness. XD


	5. Chapter 5

His best club wear? He didn't even know what club wear consisted of. Of course he'd seen what Zack and Cloud wore to the club. Sometimes it was just simple jeans and a shirt, sometimes it was full blown colors, body paints, and a multitude of light sticks. He'd asked Zack about it once and had been told that it all depended on the club they were going to. It didn't matter what you wore for a regular club but if it was a rave then you needed to be all decked out in your best gear.

When he thought about it, he was surprised that Cloud, the silent guy that he was, actually went clubbing at all. He imagined him just sitting on a chair and pouting after being forced to join Zack. Poor guy, he really felt sorry for him now.

So Vincent spent part of the day finishing things he needed to get done, like his homework for his classes. He called his mother to check up on her and was happy to hear her voice on the phone along with the yelling of siblings in the background all trying to say hi to him at the same time. He missed his family. It was another motivating reason for why he wanted to be a chef. He'd be able to provide for his family with the income it'd offer him. Because having a single parent with three younger siblings wasn't very helpful in keeping food on the table. That's why he had to keep going, do his best to keep his scholarships and keep his mother from paying for his school. She was happy to hear from him and wished him well before he was off to finish his other tasks.

Now he was standing in front of his dresser and frowning down at his clothes. He didn't have anything spectacular to wear. Well there was a black turtle neck which wouldn't look odd seeing as it was the colder part of the year.

"You're not planning on wearing that turtle neck, are you?"

Vincent frowned glaring over at Zack who was staring at him like he was mad. "You have any idea how hot it's going to get inside that club?"

"I'm sure I can survive."

"Yeah sure." Zack hopped off his bed heading over to Vincent. "But really, are you going to be able to survive the sweat and funk of hundreds of bodies moving together to fast paced music?" His arm came up draping over Vincent's shoulders. "Trust me, you're taking this from a guy experienced with club life." Vincent sniffed but he didn't throw the arm away, staring down at the drawer. Then what the hell was he supposed to wear?

Vincent glanced back seeing Cloud lying on the top bunk looking at them through sleeping eyes like he'd just woken up from a nap. He probably did. There was a book lounged on his pillow that probably came from his literature class. Yeah Vincent did still have a chapter he needed to read. He'd finish it up tomorrow though. He had time and he was a fast reader.

"Seriously, Vincent, are all your clothes so saintly?" Vincent frowned looking at Zack who was filtering through his drawer.

"Sorry I don't like exposing my skin like some of you do."

"Well you're not getting anywhere with these dull clothes," Zack said smirking at him. "You're dressing to impress aren't you?" Dressing to impress? The words made him tense up as he stared at Zack trying to see if he could figure out what was being said there. Something was up. He knew from the smirk on Zack's face.

"…I don't know what you're insinuating."

"You're trying to catch someone's eye, someone that's going to be at that club otherwise you wouldn't be going and you know this so don't even try to dispute it." Vincent shut his mouth with a frown and risked looking over at him finding the eyes staring at him as if trying to read into his thoughts. He wasn't going to give him that satisfaction as he walked over to his bed and flopped down going with the ignoring treatment. "Either way, we're taking you out to buy some new outfits. Something that will bedazzle the dazzler." Bedazzle the dazzler? What did that even mean?

"Regardless of your attempts, I will not be dressed up like someone desperate for attention." There, he said it. He wasn't going to follow through with Zack's plan. He was going to wear what he wanted to wear and dress in the most, bland, generic, boring clothes he had possible. He was going to be sure to be the boring life of the party and sit in a corner and brood all night while watching Cid have fun with his friends. He was going to avoid all of the attention associated with being him, especially since his eyes always drew so much of it from people.

So why was he standing in front of Cid's door feeling like some floozy at a costume party? Hell, at least they usually got to wear a mask. Zack had found him some kind of…a shirt? This was a shirt, right? The front of it was made of red leather which was actually fine with him. It was the rest of the outfit, the sides and the back especially, that bothered him. While the front of it was covered with the red leather, it was the only part that actually covered his skin. Everything else was exposed thanks to the see through black mesh that made up the rest of the shirt. He did get his long sleeves, luckily, and found it strange that his forearms were the only other things covered in the red leather since everything else was also mesh.

Not to mention that Zack literally forced the black leather pants on him. He could barely even move in the thing. Even worse, red leather covered the butt of his pants and only seemed to draw more attention to it. He felt ridiculous. He'd been adorned with glowing bits of glow sticks and jewelry that made him feel like he was just a tall Christmas tree with ornaments.

Cloud played a part in his torture too, styling his hair and pulling it up into a high ponytail leaving bangs to cover over one of his red eyes. A look in the mirror made him feel like he was a woman, especially with the red eyeliner covering his lids. How was Cloud good at doing this anyway? No, he probably didn't want to know.

"So are you going to knock or just stand there looking pretty?" Zack was grinning at him when he said that. Oh he was doing this on purpose. And he looked pretty normal in his raving gear! Baggy black pants, tight leather shirt, glow sticks. Normal hair. Prick.

"Zack, I don't think you're helping his case at all." Cloud. Nice, dark blue vest. Black but way looser, leather pants. Perfectly normal hair for Cloud's standards. The Prick's accomplice.

"I'm not doing this ignorant thing," Vincent said turning to walk away. It was the plan anyway until one of them, probably Zack, loudly knocked on the door to announce their presence. Vincent turned with sharp eyes, glaring at Zack who only smirked in return before turning back to the door.

"Partygoers ready for a good time here! Let's go already!" Zack's yelling only drew more attention to their little ensemble as people that were in the hallway looked at them like they were nuts. Some looked frustrated as they peeked out of their rooms apparently not liking the interruption to…whatever it was they were doing. But for Vincent, it felt like he had all eyes on him. Whether he did or not he didn't know because he wasn't trying to see.

"Quit yelling like you fucking live in a barn!" Cid yelled out opening the door so suddenly that it startled the three of them waiting outside along with probably every other bystander. Vincent could see people rushing off towards other business vacating the little hallway space. It made him relax to not have so many people around though a part of him wondered what made them run away.

"That goes for you as well, loud mouth." Cid was pushed aside before Vincent had a chance to even look at him as Reno stepped out, giving them all a casual look over. "I'm taking it everyone's here, yo?" Really, Reno looked like he was made for raving. Granted he did have the thighs cut out in his pants and wore a full mesh shirt. But he didn't seem bothered by the exposure at all. Maybe because this was a normal wear for him on these nights?

"Right, let's get going before we miss out on some action." Rude came out next and Vincent narrowed his eyes in jealously. The man was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. How did he get away with wearing that when Vincent was forced to bare his soul with his outfit? His glare went unnoticed as the two walked past him before Zack hit him on the shoulder ignoring the grunt that escaped his lips or how he almost fell off balance.

"Stop brooding like a party pooper and come on," Zack said grinning at him before both he and Cloud went off to follow the other two. He noticed Cloud looked back at him and seemed to give him a reassuring smile before he was gone down the steps with Zack. What had that been about? Sighing, Vincent started to follow after them before he paused realizing he hadn't seen Cid since Reno had pushed him aside so abruptly. He looked back behind him and felt his eyes widen as he saw Cid standing there looking at him from the doorway.

Vincent couldn't say anything, didn't know what to say as the eyes just kept staring into his own before gliding along his form. His heart was pounding so hard he thought he was going to die. And Cid hadn't said a word to him. Was he looking at the ridiculous outfit on him? If so then why wasn't he laughing? Or was he mad about something. Was he frustrated that he was going to be seen with a laughingstock instead of the usually, covered Vincent?

His outfit was in big contrast to Cid's who wore baggy black jeans with blue trimmings and a regular, but tight blue shirt that somehow seemed to detailed every part of Cid's chest. He was still wearing his goggles on his hair but it somehow seemed very fitting to him. It was the first time that Vincent was seeing him without his beloved jacket but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. And of course he had lights decorating him similar to how the rest of them did, including Vincent himself who wish he didn't have them.

"It…looks weird, I know," Vincent said casting his eyes away from the staring ones. He hadn't wanted to wear this getup in the first place. Why was he even here? He should have said no to the offer from the beginning and stayed up in his bed reading his homework and fantasizing about being with Cid. And why was the hallway so empty at a time like this? "I'll uh…I'll go change out of this. It won't take too long."

"It looks good on you." The words pulled Vincent away from beating himself up about it as he looked at Cid again finding a smile he wasn't used to seeing on such cursing lips being shared with him. Cid started walking towards him and he swore his whole body tensed up. He wasn't letting Vincent's eyes go, keeping their focus on him as he walked up to him. "Makes me a little jealous of the girl you're after." The words had come out low, but they were there, just past his ear as Cid walked past him for the steps.

It left Vincent a little dazed as he turned around staring at his fellow student's back and feeling all the heat rushing to his face. It couldn't have meant what it sounded like but it sure did seem that way. Cid couldn't be jealous, right? It wasn't like Cid liked him like that. He was probably just saying that so he wouldn't feel so…awkward. But it still warmed his heart to know that Cid did care and that he didn't think he looked like a complete douche. Even if he felt like one in this getup.

"Come on, Vincent! The fucking club's going to close before we get there at the rate we're going." Vincent looked up seeing Cid peeking up at him from the stairs and waiting on him before he nodded his head and rushed off to join him.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

When he said he wasn't the clubbing type, he really meant it. It had already been an hour and he'd spent most of it sitting at the table belonging to his group and listening to the few that were still there yapping on about whatever it was they talked about. They weren't so near the music that they had to yell over it to be heard. They all had some variation of sodas and juice, everyone but the two that were old enough to drink. Both Reno and Rude had wrist bands on signifying that they were definitely of the age to drink.

Reno had attracted the attention of two girls who were literally hanging off each arm as he sweet talked them. For Vincent, it was a little unnerving watching them rubbing their cleavages up against the man's arms fighting for his attention. Granted Vincent knew he wasn't into women himself, he couldn't deny that they were…large and attractive. And somehow even Rude had a cute girl talking to him before he'd split up from the group to follow her.

Zack was out on the dance floor somewhere amidst the hundreds of bodies moving together. It was only assumed that Cloud was with him since the other wasn't sitting at the table with them. Those two were so attached to the hip it sometimes made Vincent wonder if there was something more there.

"Well enough of the sausage fest," Reno said winking an eye at Vincent. "I'm off to have fun with the ladies, yo. So don't expect me to come back to the room tonight. You got that, yo?"

"Yeah yeah, I heard you mother fucker," Cid said grumpily from his side. Vincent risked a glance his way and was glad to see the eyes were focused on the red head and not on him. Since coming to the club, he'd found that every time he'd look at Cid he'd find the other staring back at him. It startled him, partly unnerved him because he couldn't read what the look meant. Was Cid dissatisfied with how he was dressed? Was he finding that Vincent was actually a boring person to hang out with? Maybe he wasn't really looking at him and his eyes were just in a daze.

But each time he'd look and their eyes would meet Cid would stare a bit longer than necessary before turning his eyes away. What did it mean? What was going through the blonde's mind? Reno pulled back from the table to stand before he was leaving out with his two guests. Vincent was starting to think that maybe Rude had done the same thing as well.

"Bored yet?" Vincent tensed up and looked over meeting gazes with the blue eyes. Cid was staring at him, chewing on a toothpick to keep him occupied. He'd been avoiding looking over at Cid since the weirdness had begun back at the dorm. His mind was confused, not sure what to make of the thing that Cid had said to him. But he couldn't stay quiet for long, not if it was just the two of them. He'd have to make his answers sweet and simple.

"A little." Yeah that should do it. Just enough but not too much.

Cid nodded his head. "Yeah, it can get like that if you're not the type that likes to fucking party." He looked away from him then looking out towards the billowing mounds of moving bodies and glowing lights. Vincent followed his gaze. It was something else when you really got to see it, not like you'd see on TV. The whole place was practically covered with darkness so that the most you could recognize were the glowing lights that showed there were people there.

It wasn't his type of music but he could understand why a person would dance to it. The beats coming out of the speakers were loud and made your whole body vibrate the closer you get to it. It felt surreal, like you weren't even on Earth as it awoke things that normally rested in his body. He honestly found he wanted to dance, to feel more of those beats. But instead he sat still and looked down at his soda taking another sip of the flat drink.

Oh he'd been asked quite a few times by people if he wanted to dance with them. And not of them had been women either. But after the first ten times he noticed that the people seemed to grow skeptical about coming to him. Maybe they picked up the hint that he didn't want to dance with them?

Cid had had quite a few offers as well, mostly all women. But there had been a few rare cases of guys asking him which resulting in a "no" and a "hell no" from the man. Well at least he knew what the answer would have been if he'd been the one asking.

On the plus side, he'd finally gotten a little more comfortable with the clothes he was wearing. With how dark it was around him, he didn't have to worry about people ogling him. Besides, he was just happy that he was spending some time with Cid and getting to see more into his personal li-

"Do you want to dance?"

Vincent blinked. Yeah he flat out didn't know how to respond. The question hadn't come from some random passerby this time. It'd come from the person sitting right next to him. Vincent turned his head looking at Cid knowing that his mouth was probably partly hanging open in his shock. No, he was reading too much into this. He had to be.

Cid chuckled at the look before he grinned at him. "Quit looking like I just proposed to you. I'm just asking if you wanted to go out there and dance instead of just sitting here looking like two grumpy men that were forced into coming here."

"…I don't know how to dance," Vincent said swallowing and glancing away. He'd never tried dancing before always thinking it was stupid and made you look weird. His siblings used to like to try and get him to dance which usually just resulted in swinging their arms together side to side while holding hands. But kids were simple like that.

"Well shit, neither do I!" Cid said standing up and grabbing Vincent's hand pulling him to his feet. It made Vincent blush as he stared down at the warm, coarse hand before his eyes went up to meet amused blues. "So we can look like two fucking idiots together, right?"

"Cid, I really don't think I can-"

"Just shut up and follow my lead ok?" He eased his words with a lack of force showing he didn't mean anything bad by them. Instead he started tugging Vincent towards the dance floor not seeming to care that he was still holding the taller man's hand. "Fuck, you only live once, right? So let's enjoy every fucking thing that we can while we're still young and living without back problems or fucking hip pain."

Cid didn't lead them out into the flow of bodies, instead taking them over to a darkened corner still close enough to feel the buzz of the music but not close enough for random dancers to bump into them. He'd never seen such a hype of excitement from a group of people before. Every so often the DJ would pop onto the speaker to say something. And despite the fact that Vincent doubted anyone understood what he said, the crowd would always cheer loudly and start bouncing around like drugged up pepper beans.

The sight of moving blue lights drew Vincent's attention to Cid again finding the other dangling one of the blue light sticks in front of him. He could barely see his features in the darkness as his eyes were slowly adjusting to it. In a way he felt comforted with this darkness. There was no way people would stare at him not without just thinking he was another body. But he could see the grin on Cid's face, could feel the eyes staring at him from the darkness.

The blue and green lights that surrounded Cid's waist seemed to start gravitating towards him as Cid started to pump his hips forward to the beat of the music. They captivated Vincent's eyes, literally hypnotized him as he watched the lights flapping around by their string. It wasn't hard to imagine it being something else that made his cheeks heat up.

"It's kind of weird just moving myself here!" Cid said pulling Vincent's eyes back up to him with his words. "Try moving at least a little bit!" Cid was yelling over the music to make sure that Vincent heard him.

"I don't know how!" Vincent tried to yell back but he wasn't the loud type so it still came out to nothing more than a whisper. Whether Cid heard him or not didn't seem to change what happened next. Hands came down rest on his hips and his eyes shot up quickly to look at Cid. The other wasn't looking at him though, his eyes staying focused downward that it made Vincent blush. He could feel the warmth of Cid's fingers pressing against his skin thanks to the fact that his shirt was mostly made of mesh. He felt Cid's hands tighten as they stared to shift his hips around moving him to the beat of the music.

He could feel it, could feel the music coursing through the soles of his feet and into his body putting him on a high. Vincent started to move on his own, letting the music control him the best he could.

"Don't try so hard. Just relax. Loosen up some." He wasn't sure when Cid had gotten so close he could lean over to whisper in his ear. Their bodies weren't touching but it was close enough in Vincent's opinion. Maybe it was because he was so into the music that he was forgetting who he was dancing with but Cid looked amazing. He'd gotten more into the music, his eyes closed as he moved his body following the beat and becoming a mindless clone to the music. He hadn't moved his hands from Vincent's hips which was the key problem Vincent was having with this all.

It was too close. He couldn't relax if he wanted to. He was dancing with the man of his dreams, watching him more as if he were under some secret euphoria. If Vincent moved and more than he was doing right now he knew he'd break the spell, even lose the feeling of Cid's hands on him. At least that was his thought before he felt the hands tighten around him and tug him closer till he was almost mashed up against the other's body.

He was losing his mind from how close he was to Cid. Being this close was something he'd only ever dreamed about. These kinds of things didn't come true, and yet he was seriously so close he could smell Cid's body wash and the faint scent of manly sweat. Vincent's body was giving in to the demands of staying away as he moved closer pressing himself flush up against Cid's body.

"Fuck…." It must have been the final push because Cid's hands gripped him tighter pulling him close until they were two bodies melting together. He could feel Cid's hips thrusting forward against him granted he couldn't tell if it was even going to the music anymore or not. But he gave into his desires, bending his head to kiss Cid's lips unable to stop himself from doing it. Too much was going on at one time. Too much making his head spin around to even care about the end results. But he wasn't disappointed, not when he felt the lips responding to him as the hands that were on his hips moved to grip his ass to grind against him harder.

Vincent didn't even care anymore that he was in public, his hands moving to hold Cid's hips in return as his mouth opened to invite in the tongue pressing against it. They shouldn't be doing this, not here with anyone walking by being able to see what they were doing. But he couldn't stop moving, dry humping the man of his dreams and earning the same in return. He was lost in a lust filled bliss that he was going to take full advantage of while he could.

Before he knew it, Cid had broken the kiss hugging him close as he panted loudly into his ear moving with him…no moving against him. Vincent's hands went up to his shirt holding it tight, a soft sound escaping his lips when Cid pressed into him harder. He didn't think it was loud, he didn't think he'd whispered out Cid's name right afterwards. It came out in the softest voice, just the name, "Cid" caused the hands on his ass to tighten as Cid's heavy breaths heated up his ear.

"Fuck…I can't….ngh." Vincent didn't know what he was trying to say at first but the tensing of the body in his arms followed by the hard thrust forward of Cid's hips before his body relaxed against him gave him all the information he needed. He could feel warmth seeping into his pants and tried hard to fight back the blush that was obviously showing up on his face.

Cid hadn't moved yet, his breath panting against Vincent's neck. They weren't even moving to the music anymore, just standing there floating in their own little world. He wasn't really sure where things were going to go from here. Hell, he hadn't exactly intended for Cid to dry hump him on the dance floor but he had no complaints towards it.

"I like you." The words were low but because of how close Cid was to him at that moment, he heard him perfectly. "So…I'd like to think we could be friends…or something." Or something…. Those were the words he'd heard from Cid back when they were heading to the dorms from the store, when they'd officially, verbally became friends. But Cid had added that or something for a reason. As a form of hope? Vincent wanted to think so anyway.

"I like you too," Vincent said feeling the smaller male tense up in his arms. But he didn't pull away which was a good sign because Vincent didn't think he'd be able to continue otherwise. "I've…liked you a long time. So…I'm hoping we can be friends…or something."

"…I like the 'or something' option way fucking more…"

"Same here."

Cid chuckled in his ear forcing a shiver to run down Vincent's spine from how sexy it sounded. The blond finally seemed to get himself together as he leaned back looking at Vincent's face, the biggest smile appearing on his face. "Wanna get the fuck out of this place and head back?"

"It's the best idea I've heard all night," Vincent said.

"Yeah," Cid said. "Besides, I have a little cleaning up I need to do." Well the same could be said for Vincent as well. "Sorry about the mess."

"It's fine. I was close to doing the same myself." Wait…did he really just say that? Cid was staring at him with wide blue eyes before he started barking out with laughter.

"Fuck, that's hot." Cid said lowering down to a small laugh. His eyes stared at Vincent with growing intensity that Vincent felt like he needed to take step back as he blushed. "I want to see that."

"Um…what?"

"Nothing," Cid said though the intensity didn't die for a minute in his eyes. "Well, let's head back. Just text your buddies and let them know you're heading back with me."

"What about Reno and Rude?" Cid was already moving walking towards the exit making Vincent catch up to walk behind him. It was a really good thing that they had such dark colored clothes otherwise someone would probably think they peed on themselves. Or worse, they'd figure out what it really was.

"They'll be gone all night so we have plenty of time." Vincent tensed up at the words, frowning slightly. Plenty of time for what? What was Cid planning on making them do? He guessed he'd find out when they got back to the dorm. But if it was anything like what happened out on the dance floor, he was more than willing to do it again.

TBC….


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does contain naughty sexy moments and stuff. Though it's not necessary to read this chapter if you want to skip ahead.

Cid walked with him hand in hand the entire way giving no regards to the people that glanced at them when they walked by. Granted that most of the people out were either drunks or people leaving to head home from work, it wasn't much to worry about to begin with. Despite the chill in the air and the little that covered Vincent's body, he didn't feel the least bit cold. His hand felt warm, his cheeks were red and he doubted most of it had to do with the cold.

Cid hadn't said much else since they left the club, just tugging him along while randomly grumbling about the chill in the air. And Vincent followed him, keeping his eyes on the other's strong back and letting him lead the way for him. He wasn't really thinking, couldn't really think as he thought about what happened in the club. Cid grinding against him, Cid kissing him back, even the words Cid said to him that let him know he wasn't the only one with these feelings. At least it seemed that way.

But there were other things on his mind too such as the tightening in his groin that had only went down moderately thanks to the chill of the night air. He should have brought his jacket with him instead of listening to Zack.

But thankfully they weren't too far from the dorms and it took just getting inside to finally settle into the dull warmth of the interior hallway. They stopped by Cid's room going inside before Cid finally turned to look at him, making Vincent's heart thunder as if reliving everything that just happened. Before he knew it he was being pressed back against the door, hungry lips attacking his own with desperation. He barely had the time to react, his body going tense before he started to kiss the lips back. Whatever passionate flames had died down rekindled just from that one action.

He felt Cid pressing against him pushing him more into the door and yet not a single complaint came to mind as he kissed back feeling the lips moving against his with skills he definitely didn't have. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined Cid kissing him like he was doing now. Nor would he have dreamed of the body grinding against him forcing his breath to catch in his throat as he clenched his eyes shut gripping the tight blue shirt. He was losing control of his body, the blood rushing south into his groin.

Lips broke away as Cid moved down sucking at his neck, his hands sliding down Vincent's body to grip the crotch in his hand making the ebony haired male groan out from pleasure. He'd touched himself a few times before, but he'd never felt it like this. Even if Cid wasn't touching it directly it felt even better than when he'd touched it himself. He didn't fight to keep his eyes open, his breath slowly turning to soft pants as he pushed his hips forward into the hand.

The other's lips pulled back from his neck and when he opened his eyes he saw the blue orbs staring back at him, his hand not relenting in its groping.

"Fucking beautiful," Cid said. Vincent didn't know what to think hearing those words. They were the last words he thought he'd ever hear out of Cid's mouth and yet they made him feel almost as happy as Cid saying he liked him.

"Cid…" The name came out choked from his throat as he groaned feeling the hand squeezing his crotch, making the cock inside even harder. He allowed his hands to slide underneath Cid's shirt touching at the skin on his back, the same back he'd stared at for years with dreams of being with this man.

"Fuck…" He could feel the muscles of Cid's back tremble under his touch and leaned in close kissing him again earning a moan himself for his insistence. Vincent wasn't sure when his pants had been undone but the constant tugging of the tight leather was warning enough of what Cid was trying to do. And he still didn't say no to it, shivering from the cold of the air hitting skin and complying with the removal of the article of clothing as he kicked his boots off and slipped the pants over his ankles to step out of them. Well he'd been ready to get out of them since he wore them. He just hadn't planned for it to be done like this.

A hot, coarse hand went down into his underwear grabbing him and he lost all sense of thought as he threw his head back moaning out to the open air. Vincent's hands curled up in Cid's shirt tugging on it tightly as he found his hips moving forward into the stroking action around his cock.

"C…Cid…." The name barely came out from his lips.

"Hm?"

"What about…your roommates?" God, why did this feel so good? The roughness of the calloused hand only seemed to make it feel even better.

"They won't be back tonight," Cid said starting to devour his neck again. He said it so easily that Vincent wondered if this was what happened every Saturday night. Well minus the whole Vincent being in his room for him to grope on.

"Nnngh what about…ah…shower…"

"Morning…" Cid said panting as he pulled Vincent's shirt off. "We'll fucking worry about that in the morning." He stepped back breathing hard, his lips looking a bit swollen from the desperate lip lock. Under the stare of Cid's blue eyes, Vincent must have looked like something leaning there against the door panting hard, his eyes only half opened as he tried to catch his breath. His underwear poked out in the front obviously showing his needy erection that seemed to have leaked pre because of the wet darkness at the front of his tight briefs. Whether it was from what was going on now or from earlier on the dance floor, he wasn't all that sure. Probably from both. The only other article of clothing he had left was his socks.

And seriously, why was Cid still wearing all of his clothes? He didn't give Cid any more time to stare at him as he moved forward again, kissing him once more as he worked Cid's pants open. He didn't hesitate to push them down, his hands working on rubbing the bulge in the chocobo boxers Cid was wearing. He might have laughed at them any other time, but right now he just wanted to feel him, groaning out when he heard Cid's moans of appreciating at being touched. Cid had to be just as hard as he was if not harder.

"F-Fuck…Fuck, Vin…nngh…" Cid stepped back from him and slipped his shirt off tossing it aside. He didn't even hesitate to take his boxers off leaving himself standing there in the buff…well except his socks and the goggles on his head. Vincent couldn't help staring at the sight before him. Cid was breathing hard, his muscled chest expanding and deflating with every quick breath he took. He was already covered in a light sheen of sweat that seemed to shine in the room's low light. His cock looked like it was straining, twitching so much that Vincent groaned thinking it would start shooting any minute now. And this was all because of him. "Fuck, quit staring like that…."

Vincent's eyes went back up to Cid's face, managing to catch the red heat in his cheeks as the blue eyes stared at him from partially closed lids though they still burned with their usual fire. He knew his own must have looked similar. He felt like they did anyway. He reached down, watching how Cid's eyes seemed to flicker down to his hands as he tugged his own boxers down, ignoring how his tip seemed to get stuck in the elastic band before it sprung free bobbing slightly. He heard Cid groan from the action, saw the tip of Cid's cock start to drip with pre that carelessly leaked to the floor.

Vincent stepped closer, pressing their bodies to each other again before Cid was kissing him, swallowing his moans and thrusting his tongue into his mouth. He grinded against Vincent before a hand went down and wrapped around the two of them pumping them together. When Cid sunk down on the bed behind him, Vincent followed him down straddling his lap with little effort though careful to not bump his head on the upper bunk. He didn't release those desirable lips, his hips thrusting forward to rub against Cid's cock as the blond stroked them.

He only let the kiss break when Cid laid back on the bed, giving them a breath of fresh air to suck in greedily. He stared down at Cid, sure that the love he felt for this man was shining there in his red eyes before he slid himself down to hover between Cid's legs. He glanced up towards Cid, noticing the blue eyes watching him curiously before he bent his head down wrapping his lips around the head of the large cock.

"Nngh, fuck!" Cid held the sheets tight, his body thrashing a moment before he calmed himself, breathing even faster than before. It was a nice reaction, something Vincent was going to want to see more of. He took more of the large cock in his mouth, not even sure what he was really doing. He'd read somewhere that he needed to be careful of his teeth, but that using the mouth was probably the most pleasurable thing you could give a guy. It'd been an embarrassing, though exciting read at the time but it seemed to come in handy now that he was actually doing it.

Vincent started to suck, slurping around the engorged member as his saliva coated it. He could see Cid biting his lips to keep from being too loud, his hands coming down to grip Vincent's hair as he tried lifting his hips to pump upward. Vincent obliged him starting to bob his head. Cid's body was trembling, the muscles tensing from the need for release so close around the corner. Vincent didn't blame him. He was close himself from all the teasing going on.

It didn't take long for him to feel the cream shooting into his mouth, Cid's body tightening up as he pushed his hips forward like he was trying to push everything as deep as he could go. A groan escaped his throat followed by a quiet curse that didn't go unmissed by Vincent's ears. Vincent just moaned around him, swallowing the cream shooting into his mouth and ignoring the bitterness in its taste. It belonged to Cid, that's all he needed. Cid relaxed back against the bed again, reminding Vincent of the time on the dance floor when Cid had done just about the same thing except at the time he'd been relaxing against Vincent's body and coming through his pants. He waited until he felt the member softening in his mouth before he pulled his lips away swallowing what was left in his mouth before crawling up to lay his head beside Cid's.

Cid looked over at him tiredly, smiling with one of the happiest looks on his face. "Thanks," he said before he seemed to grin. "Now it's your turn."

"Huh?" Vincent blinked before he found himself pushed on his back, blushing as he saw Cid moving down between his legs. "C-Cid? Nngh!" Cid didn't even wait, taking the whole thing into his mouth ravenously. His mouth moved quickly, bobbing faster as blue eyes connected with his red ones keeping them on the same level. Vincent squirmed, arching his back as he moaned out, not so quiet as Cid had been moments before. Cid knew what he was doing, his hands moving down to cup Vincent's balls, massaging them and turning Vincent into a puddle on the bed.

A wet finger brushed across his hole. He didn't know what to make of it, tensing up when he felt it push inside of him with a slight burn.

"Relax," Cid said pulling his lips away. "Just relax. It'll feel good." He nodded before complying, forcing his body to relax against the invasion of his private hole. Cid started sucking on his cock again giving him a good distraction from what was going on between his ass cheeks. He moaned louder when the finger started moving, the pain he'd felt just a moment ago easily being melted away from the invader digit.

Vincent found himself riding his hips down on the finger, his cock twitching in Cid's mouth from the hot heat surrounding it. He wasn't going to last. He'd never experienced something so hot like this so he knew he wouldn't.

When Cid added another slippery finger to his hole pushing them deeper and brushing into the spot deep inside of him, Vincent opened his eyes wide before he cupped both his hands over his mouth moaning into them as his body trembled shooting out his love cream into Cid's mouth. He couldn't stop the spasms rushing through his body, not until he came down from his high. The fingers pulled free from his ass with a pop leaving him with a sort of emptiness as Cid moved up crawling to lie beside him again, swallowing the cream in his mouth before he smirked.

"Not bad," he said grinning at him. "I can tell you've been eating a lot of sweets."

Vincent blushed at the words. "Quit analyzing my…stuff." It didn't stop him from snuggling closer enjoying the smells that radiated from Cid's body. He was getting tired. He really didn't want to move. He knew he should, though. He didn't want to be caught in such a compromising position when Cid's roommates came back.

"Just shut up and get to sleep," Cid said, his voice holding more affection than his words did as he pulled Vincent close, his eyes already slipping shut to show just how tired he was. And being this close and this warm to the body of the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with made it easy for Vincent to follow suit and fall asleep as well.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

There was definitely something wrong with this situation. Well granted it wasn't really wrong just…not normal. But it wasn't bad…how could he explain it? It was something he'd only imagined in his wildest dreams to happen. Waking up with Cid beside him was the best thing to ever happen to him…and so was the lack of clothes that reminded him of what happened…well except their socks and Cid's goggles that magically stayed on his head.

He'd had sex…with Cid Highwind. It was just the oral kind but still…it was sex regardless. They'd flat out came back, went to Cid's room and just…just did it. It'd been amazing…and it'd been his first time being with another person like that. He didn't know what to make of it. He also didn't know how he'd been convinced to stay there with Cid. He must have fallen asleep at the time or just didn't care.

But he did care now that he was awake and more aware of what was going on. He had no regrets about what happened last night. But since Cid said that his roommates didn't usually come back until morning, it was probably a good idea to get dressed and vacate before they returned. Except Cid literally had him in a body lock with how he was using Vincent as his personal teddy bear.

Vincent couldn't help staring at Cid sleeping there, his eyes travelling down to the lips that he'd gotten quite acquainted with last night. He blushed remember the taste of Cid's strong tongue in his mouth, the hint of cigarette there, the Moogle pack to be particular. And as much as he wanted to stay here all day snuggled up with Cid in his very loving embrace…he needed to go. He needed to go before Cid's roommates found him here in a very compromising position. And he needed to go before Zack started wandering around to investigate where he was.

He wasn't even going to check his phone which he was sure probably had a ton of texts. He was glad he put it on silent right after he had texted Zack to let him know he was heading back with Cid. Vincent shifted slightly then edged himself towards the edge of the bed close to slipping free of Cid's loose grip before the man tightened his hold tugging him back over to him.

"Quit…fucking squirming….mm….tryin…..sleep…."

"….." Yeah a lot harder than he thought it would be. He needed to wake Cid up. Yet a part of him was worried about doing that. He worried that it was somehow all a fluke. That Cid had just been driven by the sounds of the music that put his brain on a lust filled override. Or maybe that Cid only meant this to be a onetime thing. No, but Cid had meant it when he said that he liked him. There was no lying in those eyes. It didn't stop Vincent's imagination from playing all kinds of scenarios in his head though.

So he went with a second attempt to slide out of the bed making it halfway off before his arm was grabbed and his was tugged back into the bed. He felt a weight lay on top of him and looked up blushing to see the amusement of bright blue eyes shining back at him looking only partially sleepy.

"Thought you were gonna to do a fuck and run, huh?"

"C-Cid…!" Vincent blushed at feeling the nakedness of the other's body on top of him beneath the sheets. His hands were pushed down onto the bed above his head as Cid leaned his head down closer, softly biting at his lower lip drawing a shiver and a moan from him. Damn it…he shouldn't be getting turned on right now. But he was getting turned on, returning the kiss when Cid's lips came flush with his. Damn it, why was Cid so perfect? He was so good with flipping Vincent's world upside down.

The kiss was broken and Cid laid there staring down at him a moment longer before he finally sat up and reached over grabbing the pack of cigs off the dresser giving Vincent free reign of his body. Vincent was still red when he sat up, his fingers moving to touch against his lips. He'd hate to see what he must have looked like in the mirror after last night. His hair was probably all over the place. Cid didn't seem to mind it one bit though.

"How about we get dressed and you can walk down with me so I can get a quick smoke in?"

He looked over at Cid meeting the blue eyes before giving a nod of his head slowly like he was in a daze. What he really wanted was to get a shower. He didn't want to walk around smelling like sweat, sex, and other bodily fluids. Not to mention he wanted to change into some clothes, some real clothes and not that junk that Zack forced him to wear last night. Even if it did end up making Cid dry hump him on the dance floor. Guess he bedazzled the dazzler.

Clothes were tossed onto his lap before he registered what happened. It was a pair of Cid's old sweats and a shirt that looked like they'd be really comfortable to wear. Vincent looked up at Cid seeing that he had already tugged on a pair of boxers and was pulling up a pair of jeans when he caught Vincent looking at him.

"Figured you didn't wanna try squeezing into those tight ass pants again," Cid said tugging up the jeans and buttoning them up somehow making even that simple task look sexy. "Promise we'll get a fucking shower after I get a quick smoke in. Know ya don't like smelling all funky."

Vincent blushed but he couldn't help smiling at the idea that Cid knew what he was thinking. "I should probably skip ahead and get my shower."

Cid blinked staring at him stopping in the middle of putting his shirt on. "What? Ya don't wanna take a shower with me or something?"

"Nothing like that," Vincent said slipping the shirt over his head. "But there's the dorm rule saying we can't go on other floors to shower."

"Fuck, no one follows that rule," Cid said eyeing him. "I've fucking been on almost every floor because I wanted to." Well…it made sense. It wasn't like they could monitor where you took your shower at. Besides, as long as they weren't doing something illegal it shouldn't be a problem. But there was another reason why he couldn't shower with Cid.

"…Cid, if I shower with you, we might…" He left the words there, trying not to let the burning in his cheeks get to him. Cid must have gotten his point because his own cheeks seemed to turn red as well from the thought.

"Right…I see your point." Cid smirked at him. "Hell, you're already getting me horny just watching ya." He stared at Vincent like he was waiting. It made Vincent realize what he was looking for as he remembered he was holding the pants in his hands still. "Aren't you gonna get dressed?"

"…Turn around."

"…Heh?" Cid blinked at him owlishly. "Do what now?"

Vincent blushed. "Just…turn around so I can dress."

"…Says the man who just got sucked off by me last night."

"Cid!" The banging on the door drew both of their attention towards it like two deer hearing a shot go off. They looked at each other before Cid made his way towards the door and Vincent quickly stood up slipping the sweats on during the distraction. They looked like high waters on him but he wasn't about to complain. It was still better than the leather pants…and it was Cid's. That itself warmed him more than it should have.

Cid was kind enough to kick the discarded clothes under the bed for quick hiding before he grumbled heading over to the door at the louder knocking. "Coming, damn it! Hold your fuckin horses!" He opened up the door wide enough that Vincent could see the red of hair easily from his standing position. Well that and the fact that he was just taller than Cid in general anyway. "Well well, let me guess. Left your fuckin keys again?"

"Fuck off, I'm tired, yo," Reno said pushing past Cid as he made his way into the room.

"Well good morning to you too, sunshine," Cid said grumbling as he closed the door. Even though Reno said he was sleepy, to Vincent he always looked tired. But if he looked hard enough he could see the swell of pain in his head that signaled to him probably having a hangover from all his drinking last night. And that's exactly the reason why Vincent was never going to drink if he could avoid it.

"Smells kind of funky in here." Vincent swore he hoped he didn't look like a guilty kid stealing snacks. Because all it would take is Reno putting two and two together to figure out what happened in this room last night. Reno paused when he saw Vincent making the ebony haired male tense up when the red head lifted a brow slightly. "You're here bright and early, yo. Come to hang out with the annoying blond?"

"…Homework." Yeah, good answer, Vincent. Reno glanced over to the bed then around Vincent's vicinity before he lifted a brow.

"…Without books?"

"What, is this a fucking interrogation room or something?" Cid said walking over and picking up his pack of cigarettes off the bed saving Vincent from the explanation. "Thought you said you were fucking sleepy, so lay your ass down and get to sleep."

"…Yes, Mama Cid," Reno said lying down on his bed as he smirked over at Cid. "Should I suck on your tit for milk too?"

"Blow me!"

"Funny, that's exactly what I told your mom last night," Reno said grinning at the angry look on Cid's face before he rolled over lying flat on the bed. "Now get going with your sour tit milk so I can sleep, yo." Cid grumbled saying something under his breath before he looked at Vincent.

"Come on. Let's get the hell out of here." He turned walking off already heading out the door. Vincent glanced at Reno's back before he started to follow. He paused when he saw Cid's famous leather jacket on the floor by the bed before he grabbed it taking it with him as he caught up to Cid outside the room. "Fuckers are so ornery in the fucking morning after a club day." Vincent blinked trying to figure out exactly who was the ornery one there.

"Here." Vincent held the leather jacket out to Cid as they walked the blond looking at it with confusion before he looked up at Vincent. The look made Vincent wonder if he made a mistake or not as he pulled it back slightly. "You…you're always wearing it so I thought…."

"Wow, you really have been watching me a lot, huh?"

Vincent felt his skin go cold as he looked away holding the jacket to him. "I…uh…"

"Aww quit getting all scared. I don't mean anything bad by it." Cid looked at him smiling to show he meant no harm. "So I take it to mean I'm that 'hot chick' you're chasing after."

"…Yeah." Vincent looked over at him, unable to help feeling shy around him. Hell, they did just do…a lot of things that only couples should be doing. "You're the reason I'm in the culinary major."

"Eh?" Cid blinked stopping to really look at him. "You mean you're cookin for me?" At Vincent's slow, careful nod, the grin that broke out on his face could only be deemed amazing. "Fuck, you're just making me fall in love with you more and more, Vincent."

"L-Love?!"

Cid stared at him before he burst into laughter. "You sure have a thing against the word love." But the look Cid gave him as he smiled at him, literally melted Vincent's heart. "But yeah…that word probably fucking describes how I feel right now." Vincent blushed turning his head away unable to stop the smile from coming on his face.

"I feel that way too," he said. It was easier to say it knowing that Cid felt the same about him. The red that dusted Cid's cheeks was enough for him as he saw Cid rubbing at his cheek to hide his embarrassment.

"Let's get my smoke in so we can get a fucking shower before things get too mushy here." He had the cig slipped between his lips walking faster leaving Vincent to follow after him. This was going to take some getting used to, but he didn't mind it as long as he was with Cid.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

To Vincent, time seemed to slip by so fast. But in his mind, everything was perfect. He spent most of his afternoons hanging out with Cid in his room or the two of them doing simple things like walking to the store and hanging out in the kitchen. It got easier to be around Cid, to feel the other's arms around him, to breath in his scent. It was intoxicating, perfect, Cid. He didn't know what his life would have been without him. Granted Zack and Cloud had found out fairly quickly about his loving affair with Cid. But they didn't get disgusted and instead seemed to encourage it more. Though Zack seemed to enjoy teasing him about it saying he knew about it since high school.

Aside from the occasional stolen kisses, Cid and Vincent rarely got to do much more in their alone time. They did get a few more Saturday nights alone to themselves. But after that second time where Reno came back early and almost walked in on their make out session, they hadn't taken any more chances aside from just snuggling together. Really the only two that even knew they were in a relationship were Zack and Cloud. He wasn't sure how Reno and Rude would respond if they found out. And honestly, he didn't want to find out despite the fact that the two seemed to tease them a lot like they knew.

Most times he found himself helping Cid to build his Tiny Bronco, which he had to say was more elaborate than he'd originally thought with all the pieces needed for it. How long had it taken Cid to build it even this far?

So before he knew it, it was the middle of the semester and fall was upon them. His literature class was going to be doing a joint field trip with Cid's class. He was looking forward to it even going so far as to write out plans for what to make for their lunches. Granted that he could just buy with the rest of the kids from the class…but he wasn't really doing well on funds this month. His mother was having a bit of trouble with paying the bills back home and, despite her protesting, Vincent had told her to hold onto the money she usually sent him saying that he had enough left to last him for the rest of the month.

Of course that was a complete lie considering he maybe had only fifty bucks to his name. But as long as he budgeted himself well, bought cheap things that could last a while if made, like rice, he'd be good to go. Of course he wasn't letting Cid know about any of this. It wasn't really his concern anyway. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a job soon, something that would help him earn some money without feeling guilty for mooching off his family. Hopefully he'd find a job that would make enough to send money back to his loving family. He was definitely going to have to visit them next break. He actually did miss the little tykes and his mother as well.

"What ya thinkin about?"

Vincent looked over at Cid hearing his voice. He swore he knew every detail of his face all the way down to every little detail of each facial hair. They were working on their chemistry homework in Vincent's room since it'd be much faster than trying to doing it on their own. Granted neither had much trouble on their own and it was really just more of an excuse to spend more time together.

"I was thinking about getting a job," Vincent said. "I want to learn to be more independent." Well it wasn't a lie. He really did want to be more independent…he wanted to be the one providing for his family, not the other way around.

"Interesting," Cid said chewing on the end of his pen. "I just put in for a job myself. I'll start working at the automotive place right down the street."

"I didn't know that," Vincent said lifting his brows in surprise. Somehow that seemed fitting though, for Cid to be working on cars. It made sense since he was majoring in how to make other forms of transportation.

"Yep. Did it while you were at your culinary class. Figured I needed to get some work experience or something." Cid sat up, stretching while somehow managing not to fall of the small twin sized bed the two of them were sharing. "You decide on what you want to do yet?"

"…I'm not sure," Vincent said frowning. It wasn't like he'd ever had a job before. Most times he stayed home to keep watch over his siblings.

"…Well how about something close to your major?" Cid said. "Like I don't know…working at a coffee shop or a bakery or something."

"A bakery…" Vincent nodded at that. That could work. It'd be perfect for keeping up his practice while not having to buy his own supplies.

"Yep. There's a bakery right across the street from the fuckin auto shop." Cid was grinning when he said that. "It'll give me a place to hang out at during breaks. We can check it out tomorrow after the god damn field trip to hell."

"We're just going to a play," Vincent said with amusement. He hadn't forgotten about how much Cid hated literature class.

"I'm going to be bored out of my fuckin mind!" Cid said groaning with frustration. "Stupid fucking tights…."

"…Better watching it than reading it right?" Vincent said trying to keep a straight face though he felt like grinning at Cid's antics.

"Fuck, the only way they'd get me interested in this stupid play is if you were the one up there wearing the tights." Vincent dared a glance up his way then blushed seeing the way Cid was staring at his body, especially around his butt. He swore he felt Cid's eyes sliding along his legs. It sent shivers down his spine. When he felt the weight of the other's body move to lie on top of him from behind, his heart sped up in his chest. "Course I'd rather see you wearing nothing at all."

"C-Cid…" Vincent turned his head finding the other's face right next to his. Their eyes met again, the perfect sky blues drawing him in like they had the very first time he'd ever set his eyes on Cid. He leaned in pressing his lips to Cid's enjoying the soft kiss and the satisfactory sound that slipped from Cid's mouth. He could feel the other's tongue sliding into his mouth as hands went beneath his shirt touching at the softness of his skin making it tingle. He swore he could die happily here just like this with nothing else in the world but just the two of them.

"Vincent, we're ba-ack! Quick, Cloud! Close your eyes!" Zack was staring at them with wide, eyes though Vincent could see the amusement hidden there as well. "You're too young to see this!"

"God damn it, learn to start fucking knocking when you decide to just bust your ass in!" Cid crawled off from the top of him leaving nothing but coolness and Vincent's face hiding in the pillow mortified. This was kind of a normal occurrence too. It was like Zack and Cloud knew just when to come back in to ruin the mood. Granted he was glad it happened this time because he swore Cid was planning on doing more. Seriously, they really needed to find themselves their own place. Maybe if the job thing went ok he could see about the two of them renting an apartment. At least then they didn't have to hide everything nearly as much as here. They had absolutely no privacy here.

Vincent turned his head to the side, just enough to peek out and saw Cid looking down at him. The soft smile that lifted to those lips relaxed whatever discomfort he'd felt only moments ago. Hell, he'd die happily just to see that smile on that face. He'd die happy just knowing that Cid was by his side.

TBC…..


	8. Chapter 8

The play wasn't all that bad. It was a comedy about a clown that fell in love with a mime. It was definitely eye grabbing and good enough to actually keep Cid interested. Vincent's boyfriend took delight in cackling at every little joke told. They sat next to each other since it wasn't required to sit with your class on this trip. And because of how dark it was in the theater, they were easily able to hold hands.

By the time the play was over and the two classes were walking out, Cid literally had tears in his eyes. It made Vincent smile to see the usually grumpy male enjoying himself so well. He was still laughing about it when they got on the bus. Cloud sat across from them, talking and putting in a comment every so often. For the most part he stayed quiet though. That was usually the case when Zack wasn't there.

"Seriously, Vin, why the hell was the clown trying to marry the chicken to make her jealous?"

"I'm not sure," Vincent said chuckling getting more amusement from Cid than from the actual play. He wasn't sure when Cid started using the nickname but he loved it. It made him feel special.

"Hehe, seriously. The best shit I've seen in a while," Cid said grinning as he wiped at his eyes. "Hm? Looks like were stopping to eat." He was looking out the window when he spoke. Vincent looked over his shoulder to see where they had stopped for food. McDuckin Chuckin. It was some fast food place that Vincent honestly wasn't fond of.

He was prepared, though, having made a meal for the two of them to eat. Something simple that he'd made for them last night which didn't require him spending more of his limited money. So when the bus stopped and the other students started piling out to eat, Vincent reached under the chair pulling out their lunch. He could literally see Cid salivating at the sight of the lunch box. Vincent asked Cloud if he wanted some but the blond just smiled and shook his head before leaving with the others.

Opening it, Vincent passed a sandwich over to Cid laughing at how quickly he uncovered it. He barely even let the wrapper fall before he took a bite out of it. "Damn it, Vin, this is the best shit in the world!"

Vincent blushed at the compliment before starting to eat his own sandwich.

"So, still planning on work at the bakery?"

"If I get hired, yeah." He couldn't help the intimidating feeling that trying to get his first job had on him. It made him nervous, the unexpected fear of failure rising up in him. His mother had struggled with jobs while keeping care of him and his siblings. He still hated that he needed to borrow money from her even if his tuition did pay for his dorm and classes. He really needed a job to earn some income.

"Don't worry, you've got this," Cid said licking his lips clean, his tongue catching Vincent's eyes making him swallow. "They'll be fucking begging you to work there after tasting this."

"You think so?" Vincent said smiling.

"I fucking know so!" Whether he was loud or not didn't matter with just the two of them being the only ones on the bus. It didn't stop Vincent from glancing down the aisle quickly before diving in and pressing his lips to Cid's. He enjoyed the surprise on Cid's face from his initiated kiss and enjoyed it even more when the kiss was returned. But he didn't let it go on for long, not with the possibility of someone coming back on the bus.

The rest of the trip back was pretty quiet, though he did enjoy the sight of a sleeping Cid leaning his head on his shoulder lightly snoring. Granted it was just a class trip, it almost felt like a date.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Vincent swallowed as he stared at the bakery store manager. He'd brought a sampling of one of his cakes and found that he kept looking around nervously. He felt like he was in an interrogation room as he sat in the dark, dank supply room with a single light dangling over the chair.

The little old lady that interviewed him couldn't have looked happier. No, instead she had this deep set frown on her face, her brows permanently squished to the center of her visage like she was constipated. Vincent could see her walking by the front of a class full of students with a ruler in hand. Strict. Ornery. That's where Vincent's mind went when he looked at her. And it wasn't the Cid kind of ornery either. Just…mean.

She was holding the sampling of the cake in her old palm, a chunk having been bitten out already leaving crumbs in her wrinkled hand. She stared at Vincent hard like she was staring at some disgusting insect. It unsettled Vincent even though the old woman was half his size, his red eyes flickering to everything but hers. She hadn't even said a word since she ate the cake.

There was some relief to be had when she turned away from him resting her arms behind her back.

"Talk to Melissa out front," she said not even turning to look at him. "You'll set up your schedule with her."

Vincent blinked sitting for a second before he hopped up. "T-Thank you, ma'am."

"You need more training," she said glancing back, her eyes seeming softer than they had earlier. "But you have potential." She walked from the room leaving Vincent sitting there in shock before he found himself smiling as he stood up from the chair.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said again even after she was gone. He left heading back to the front to meet with Melissa. He was able to see Cid from the front counter. The man was nervously tapping his carton of cigarettes against the table top. When he looked up and their eyes met over the counter, Vincent felt all of his nervous jitters seep out of his body.

Cid had a questioning look on his face, as he held up a thumb wavering between pointing it up and down as he tried to figure out the outcome. Vincent gave him a small smile to show that everything was good. It must have been what Cid had been waiting for because as soon as he saw the smile he broke out in a large grin. Life couldn't be any sweeter than this.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Working at the bakery was better than he had expected. He received way more training than his school had provided him. Mrs. Cook, the little old lady that had interrogated him during his interview, turned out to be nicer than he expected.

She taught him new techniques, things he'd never done before. But she wasn't against popping his hand if he did something she didn't approve like too much sugar or not enough salt.

"How is everything going?" Melissa asked coming to stand beside him at the register. He'd been working here a couple of weeks but this was his first time working the register. Melissa was the assistant manager of the store. With red curly hair and freckles she was also Mrs. Cook's granddaughter. The differences between Melissa and her grandmother were shockingly high from the girl's constantly smiling face to the way her large ears seemed too big for her face. She also didn't mind taking things slow to teach Vincent the proper way of doing things to get his cupcakes just the right amount of fluff.

So she was showing him the ropes, letting him see how she interacted with customers. It was interesting how many of them were regulars. The girl knew every one of their orders by heart it seemed. She'd already explained to him how things worked. People placed their orders at the counter. They made them and brought the orders out to them. There were a couple of other workers there too, one that helped out behind the counter while the other worked on delivering the food to the people at the tables. Each of them had aprons on considering that they all had been trained to bake their goods.

For work, Vincent wore a button up white shirt and black pants with an apron tied around his neck and waist to help keep him clean from the mess he'd no doubt produce later. He had his long black hair in a ponytail, his features hot enough to attract plenty of young women to the shop. Not once did they question his red eyes. He was sure they just thought they were contacts which was fine with him. They didn't need to know why his eyes were the way they were.

The bell on the door jingled letting him know a few people had come in. He smiled. It was part of the job. But it didn't mean it had to be the huge Grand Canyon smile. It was tiny enough to see it was there. The first was a little old man balding at the top of his head. He seemed used to coming here, his eyes cutting over to Melissa standing beside him before smiling.

"Ah, I see you have a new worker today," he said.

"Yeah, his name's Vincent," she said smiling. "He's a new hiring and an inspiring chef. He's going to be working here while he's at college."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Vincent said giving a small bow of his head in respect before looking past the old man's glasses to his dark eyes. "What can I get for you today?"

"Hm…just the mocha today." He placed his money down on the counter with a shaky hand before he smiled up at Vincent.

Vincent blinked before he nodded his head, glancing over at the espresso machine. "…Any particular way you want it?"

"Hmm…let's see…" the old man said stroking his small gray beard. "Make it dark…but sweet with a little touch of whip cream on top."

"Dark but sweet…" Vincent glanced over again. Milk…dark chocolate…and maybe sugar? He wasn't used to making mochas, he admitted. He frowned glancing over at the espresso machine. "Alright…" He looked over at the man again. "If you'll have a seat, I'll bring it out to you shortly."

"Thank you, young man," the old man said already starting for the table. Frowning, Vincent let Melissa take care of the next order while he went to attempt making the mocha. He'd tried one that Melissa had made before and hadn't been fond of the stuff. But he remembered some of the things she did.

It didn't take long for him to finish, the peeping hot mocha smoking in front of him. He carried it with care taking it to the old man where he placed it on the table in front of him. "Here, sir."

"Thank you again…Vincent was it?" Vincent nodded staring down at the cup. The old man wasn't even looking at it, continuing to read his newspaper before his eyes cut up to look at Vincent, looking like they were filled with amusement. "Is something wrong?"

"N…No," Vincent said looking away quickly. But it would have been nice to know if he made it correctly or not. "Please let me know if there's anything else you need." He left the old man there, missing the smile that came on the man's face as he started back behind the counter.

"Oh, good timing," Melissa said as he came back around. "Here, take this to table ten. You remember which one that is right?"

Vincent gave a nod. Oh he knew. Mrs. Cook has forced him to memorize it with a smack to his hand each time he got it wrong. His knuckles were still red from that. Grabbing the tray containing an éclair and a cup of hot tea, Vincent headed out to table ten. Why the tables were named so differently, he didn't know. He was just glad he could remember that it was the table by the window. As he walked over walking past other windows his eyes ventured outside to the auto shop across the street. He couldn't see Cid from here but it still put a smile on his face to know the other was there. Cid had to work today. It wasn't always the case which usually ended with Cid spending time loitering around the bakery.

He looked forward to their walks back to the dorms in the afternoon. It was the end to the perfect days he'd gotten to experience. Especially since sometimes they would detour through the park or by the lake. Usually by the time one of them got off from work it was dark out. It wasn't much time to spend together but it was something, especially since it was more alone time than they got back at the dorms. He only had thirty minutes left until his shift was over.

"I take it that's for me," a voice said from the table. Vincent blinked looking down forgetting for a moment that he was working. He sat the éclair and tea down trying to ignore the light blush to his cheeks from his embarrassment.

"Sorry sir," he said looking towards the man. He blinked when he stared at him. He'd seen him before, this man with his long almost silver hair and his intriguing green eyes. Where had he seen this guy before?

"It's been a while since I last saw you, Vincent Valentine," the male said glancing up at him as he sips on the hot tea.

"Sephiroth?" Vincent blinked before he smiled slightly seeing him. Sephiroth had been his senior while he'd still been a sophomore himself. He was also a popular one considering his lineage and standings. He was sophisticated, handsome, kind, and overall just likeable. Vincent didn't lie when he said he admired the man. But he'd graduated two years before Vincent. This was the first time he'd seen the man since.

"I see you remember me," Sephiroth said chuckling as he reached down grabbing the éclair. "What are you doing around here?"

"I work here," Vincent said then shook his head at the obvious answer. "I mean, I go Moomba Technical College. I'm working part time to learn more about cooking in my field."

"I see." Sephiroth took a bite out of the éclair, staring up at him not being bothered by the cream that was on his lips before his tongue peeked out to lick it clean. Something about the stare and the action made Vincent blush as he glanced to the side quickly to hide from his stare. What had that been? "Are you still hanging out with Zack?" Zack had been the one to introduce him to Sephiroth. He apparently used to hang out with him for a little while before Sephiroth had graduated. Apparently the tall, green eyed male didn't have a problem with hanging around people younger than him.

"Yeah he…we're roommates," Vincent said shifting slightly. Why did he feel so nervous all of a sudden?

"Are you doing anything after work?"

"E-Excuse me?" Vincent looked at him quickly, his eyes wide slightly. But there wasn't anything there but a look of mild interest.

"If you're busy, that's fine. We can save it for another day." When had he finished eating so fast? The small saucer the éclair had been on was completely empty minus the little specks of crumb here and there.

"Sorry, I'm meeting with someone after work," Vincent said frowning as he reached down grabbing the dish putting it back on the tray. Sephiroth drank the rest of the tea before he held the cup up towards Vincent.

"Then perhaps at another time?" Vincent reached out grabbing the glass, trying to ignore how the other's fingers seemed to move up to brush against his own. There was something about the look in the other's green eyes that bothered him. He couldn't stop his face from heating up as he pulled his hand back away from the other.

"I'll…think on it," he said turning away, ignoring the shiver that was still traveling through his body from the other's touch. He headed back towards the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink. When he walked by, Melissa told him to go ahead and start on the dishes. He was grateful for the task and the excuse to be away from the green eyes he felt follow him all the way through the door. Had Sephiroth ever done anything like that before? He didn't remember it. He knew he'd met him through Zack but they'd barely spoken to each other at the time.

Frustrated, he barely even knew how fast time had passed until Melissa poked her head in the kitchen frowning at him.

"Vincent," she said bringing in a dirty glass. "Your friend's out here waiting on you. You should get going. Don't you have class in the morning?"

Vincent blinked and looked up at her before nodding his head slowly. How had he lost track of time so easily? He was staring down at an empty sink. When had he cleaned them all up so quickly? Shaking his head, he slipped his apron off placing it with a stack of towels to be washed before heading out to the front. The shop was closed, Melissa busy sweeping the dirty floor of dropped sweets and leaves that came in from outside. Cid was sitting at the center table, the only one with the chair still on the ground.

The sight of the man put Vincent at ease as he smiled heading in his direction. Cid must have heard his footfalls because he turned around before he stood up smiling at him. "Geez, first time I've ever had to come pick you up. Been busy?"

"Yeah, it was a little rough today," Vincent said. "Not something I couldn't handle."

"Fucking right," Cid said laughing before he grin turning to the red haired girl. "Don't go overworking Vin here too much now."

"I'm pretty sure he can handle it if I did," the girl said laughing as she looked up at them smiling. "Have a good night, Vin. See you in a couple of days."

"Thank you. Good night." Vincent followed Cid out the door taking in a deep breath of the fresh outside air. He couldn't help staring at Cid's neck seeing the smudge markings of dirt and oil. In fact, Cid smelled like he lived in the auto shop. He wasn't wearing the overalls since he left them at the shop, but his face had spots of oil and grease in various places making him look like a kid that got hold of a marker.

He'd never discussed the idea of the two of them living together in an apartment. The end of the semester was coming up soon and it was something he wanted to put out there before Cid ended up getting another room at the dorm. He must have been thinking pretty hard about it because he didn't even realize Cid had moved in front of him until he saw the other staring up at him.

"You ok, Vin?" Cid said frowning as he stared at him. "You ain't sick are ya?"

"No just…I was thinking about something," Vincent said glancing away from those eyes.

"About what?"

"…An apartment," Vincent said finally looking back at him. Cid's face twisted up in confusion and he almost lost the nerve to speak. But it was now or never. All Cid could say was "hell no" if he didn't want to do it. After all, they'd only been dating for about a month now.

"I was wondering," he continued, "if you wanted to…get an apartment together."

Blue eyes stared into his red one widening slightly before the blond smiled at him. "Well fuck yeah, Vin. Hell, I was going to see if you wanted to share a dorm room with me next semester but that's even fucking better!"

"So you're ok with it?"

"Of course I'm fucking ok with it! Fuck! Let's price some when we get back!" Cid was grinning like Vincent had just given him his favorite candy. "I'm all fucking hyped up for this shit n-mm!" Vincent didn't even let him finish, leaning down and kissing the talking lips silencing them. He'd already checked. There wasn't anyone around to witness the two men kissing and tongue wrestling with each other. Hell, he'd needed this all day. After his strange encounter with Sephiroth, he almost could care less about who saw him kissing Cid. He needed him.

"Nngh fuck…." Cid broke the kiss panting out as he said the word. His closed eyes opened again to stare up at Vincent with that mixture of lust and need that Vincent felt growing inside himself as well. "Fuck, let's get back before I end up fucking banging you right here."

"I wouldn't mind it," Vincent said before he could stop himself. Aside from Cid feeling him up when they did get some time alone, he hadn't had a chance to do much more with Cid than kissing and groping. And it was seriously driving him crazy. It was like he'd been given sweet chocolate to taste from their first night only to have it snatched away from him.

Cid stared at him in surprise before a smirk appeared on his face. "Fuck, Vin. You're kinkier than I thought." The look he gave Vincent literally made him want to moan out. "Can't wait to see what happens our first night in our new place."

"I'm sure it will be something," Vincent said ignoring how Cid laughed at him stepping back.

"Well then, I'm fucking looking forward to it," Cid said looking up at him one last time before he turned started to walk off leaving Vincent to stare after him. "Now let's get fucking going before I really do push you up against a wall and ram into you." Seriously, should words like that really make your knees go weak? If it was anything like the fingers from that night, he'd be more than willing to experience what Cid had in order for him.

TBC….


	9. Chapter 9

"What yall looking at, yo?"

"Apartments you dingbat," Cid said grumbling as he sat at his desk not stopping for a moment with his typing. He looked tired, his eyes straining to see the screen in front of him. Vincent didn't blame him, he was tired too, even if he was just sitting on the bed and watching. They'd been at it since they got back from Chemistry class, trying to find an apartment for the two of them to live in. So far they were coming up empty since every single place seemed far over their budget. Worse, they had some with more rooms that cost just as much as the regular two bedroom ones. Seriously, why were apartments so expensive?

"Planning on getting a place for next semester?" Reno asked leaning over Cid's shoulder to watch. "Don't wanna spend time in the dorms with us or something, yo?"

"I want some fucking privacy," Cid said grunting out as he glared over his shoulder at Reno. "I can't ever beat one off if I wanted to with you jackasses walking around everywhere."

"It's like he doesn't appreciate our company," Rude said not even sounding offended as he leaned back on the bed. "You think he's trying to get rid of us?"

Reno chuckled resting a hand on Cid's shoulder. "Well it's not like I want to see Cid jack one off either." He smirked. "But this does sounds like a good idea, yo. It'll be easier to get the ladies if we had our own place."

"No one's fucking inviting you," Cid said grumbling out. "This is just between me and Vincent here."

"Well from the sounds of it, you ain't got the funds to handle it." He was right. Vincent knew it and he was sure Cid did too. Despite having jobs, the way the world was now things were just expensive. Hell, they still needed to cover themselves and any of the books and supplies needed for class. But if they didn't get out of these dorms, Vincent was going to go crazy. It would get to a point that he wouldn't care what Cid did to him as long as he got to feel something. Besides, it didn't mean they'd all be shoved into the same room.

"So lay it out for me," Cid said turning in his chair and glaring up at Reno. "What are you fucking suggest we do?"

"Rent out one of those damn houses people put up." He smirked. "They usually rent out for cheap and sometimes you can get about three or four bedrooms to one house."

"And then invite the two of you to stay…." Cid thought on it frowning a bit. "You know I'm forcing you guys to pay rent."

"Of course. We're not stupid enough to think it's free." Reno turned heading back to his bunk. "But the more people you invite to stay, the cheaper the rent will be." And with fewer rules they could essentially do whatever they wanted. It didn't sound like a bad idea really.

"I see…." Cid's eyes turned to Vincent suddenly jolting the other back to attention. "What do you think, Vin?"

"…It would be cheaper," Vincent said frowning slightly as he looked up at him. "And I could ask if Zack and Cloud wanted to stay. That'd make six people. At least we'd have money to spend for ourselves that way."

"I guess," Cid said though he didn't sound convinced. "Well it's still fucking better than staying in the dorms. And with more rooms, I won't have to smell Reno's smelly feet in the morning."

"I won't have to hear your loud bear like snore in the morning."

"I won't have to smell your dog breath."

"I won't have to see your ugly pig face," Reno smirked. "And I might get lucky to taste Vinny's delicious meals, yo."

"V-Vinny?" Vincent's eyes shot over to Reno's quick, missing the annoyed look Cid sent Reno's way.

"What? Something wrong with a nickname?" Reno said smirking. "Cid calls you Vin…or is there something special going on there that I don't know about?" His eyes cast suspicion on them and Vincent found himself swallowing and glancing away. He was really starting to think that Reno knew about their relationship. Though why the other hadn't said anything about it yet was beyond him. "Besides, those cupcakes were damn delicious, yo."

"I'll see if Cloud and Zack want in on this plan," Vincent said standing up from the bed, avoiding Reno's eyes as he looked at Cid. "I need to get ready for class anyway."

"Alright," Cid said the frustrated look on his face relaxing as he smiled at Vincent. "Later, Vin."

"Yeah, see ya later Vinny."

"Quit calling him that!"

"What? You jealous? Or should I call him Vinco, yo?" Reno was laughing as he said it but Vincent decided to make his escape slipping out of the room before their arguments got louder. He headed up to the third floor unlocking the door to his room. As he stepped inside, his eyes caught sight of two things that made him lift his brow. One was the fact that Zack and Cloud jumped away from each other in the guiltiest of actions. The other was that Cloud's face looked red enough to set off a fire alarm before the young blond was moving quickly pushing past him out the door.

Vincent looked after him watching him leave before he turned looking at Zack curious. "Should I ask what that was about?"

"Eh…nothing you need to worry about, Vincent," Zack said rubbing at his head looking embarrassed. As if Vincent couldn't put two and two together. "What's up? I thought you'd be at class by now."

"I'm getting ready to head there now," Vincent said. "I just came in to see what you two would think about getting a rental house with me, Cid, and his roommates."

Zack blinked easing himself down to sit on the bunk. Vincent took notice of how messed up his shirt looked but he didn't make a comment about it. "A rental house?"

"We're getting out of the dorms," Vincent said trying not to imagine how much it sounded like they were breaking out of prison. "Before the start of next semester. For privacy." He eyed him as he said that. "And seeing what I saw coming in, I'd think you two probably wanted some more too."

"Uh…yeah…" Zack smiled. "I'll ask him about it."

Vincent couldn't help smiling in return. "So how long have you two…?"

"Well…about a week now," Zack said rubbing at his head again. "He's still kind of shy about it though."

"So I won't be the only one being teased at least," Vincent said laughing softly. "Take good care of him." At Zack's nod Vincent turned heading back out the door. So far it sounded like this plan would work. Now they just needed to find a cheap place with a good amount of room and they'd be good to go.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The first place he headed to after class was the auto shop. He remembered Cid saying he had to work tonight so he wanted to be there to meet him when he got off. There was something else he wanted to discuss with the man.

He waved to the man at the front desk, the guy accustomed to seeing him by now. His name was Barret. He was a tall, muscular ebony male with cornrows on his head and looked like he was made for rebuilding cars. He'd been the one to hire Cid at the auto shop being the owner of the place and was literally about as gruff as Cid was when it came to talking. Despite his rough appearance, he was really a kind guy who didn't give up the time to talk about his daughter Marlene whenever he got the chance.

Apparently, she wasn't really his daughter. But he'd adopted her as one of his own and from the sounds of it, would have no other way. They were almost inseparable. He'd seen as much when the girl had come by with her friends to visit him. She was in middle school now. Barret was very protective of her making sure she gave him a call when she got home or if she was staying at a friend's house and later mentioned that there were just too many damn perverts in the world for him not to worry.

The two of them made small talk while Vincent stared through the customer window into the workshop. Barret has become accustomed to it and had picked up on the two being in a relationship. But he never made a comment towards it and Vincent never verbally admitted to it. It was just another part of life in their eyes.

But this was seriously becoming a favorite past time of his. He watched Cid while he worked. The shorter male flexing muscles needed to remove the large tire from the truck he was working on. His coveralls were covered in oil and soot. He looked hot, sweat forming on his forehead in small beads before he used the towel in his coveralls to wipe it away. His sleeves were pushed up letting Vincent see the muscles at work as Cid filled the tire with air then took it back to the truck once more lifting it to put it back on, his face set in concentration.

After he lowered the truck down he went to the hood, bending over it and tinkling with things inside that Vincent had no ideas about. Hell, he could care less about what was inside of the car. Just that he got to enjoy watching Cid's butt wiggling around in the air while he worked.

"So, how are things at home with ya?"

"Hm?" Vincent cut his eyes away looking guilty under the other man's knowing smile. "Everything's fine. My mom's been hounding me on when I'm going to come visit next."

"That's good," Barret said resting his elbows down on the counter. "Always good to check up on mom."

"I'm worried about her income," Vincent said frowning. "She said business where she works has been kind of slow lately. I'm worried about her and my siblings. I told her I have a job. I'm hoping she doesn't send me money this month."

"She can't help worrying about ya," Barret said pushing back from the counter. "You're her first born. Her baby boy. Of course she's gonna wanna make sure you're ok. Fuck, I do the same thing with Marlene all da time."

"I want to help more," Vincent said looking back out the window seeing Cid washing his hands. "I want to make more money so I can keep them safe and healthy."

"You'll make it, kid," Barret said coming over and panting Vincent's back so hard he almost fell over. But he grinned at he looked down at him reminding Vincent of a gentle, big bear. "Hell, after tasting those snacks ya brought, I'm sure you'll be up there cooking for the stars in no time."

"Thanks," Vincent said smiling kindly.

"Besides, ya got someone there that wants to help ya, doncha?" Vincent blinked at the words before he looked out seeing Cid heading their way. When the blond looked up as he got close he smiled seeing Vincent and couldn't help waving at him. "I doubt he'll let anything happen to ya or your family. Ya can guarantee that. Kid's got a heart of gold on him even if his fucking mouth is worse than mine." His burly laugh was loud enough to shake his whole body as it came out.

Vincent couldn't help the smile on his face at the laugh, his eyes turning to the door as Cid came inside lifting a brow as he looked at Barret.

"What the fuck crawled on his funny bone?" He asked staring at the man.

"It's nothing," Vincent said smiling as he walked over. "Ready to head back?"

"Yeah, I'm good and tired. I swear I smell like bad grease," Cid said making a face before he waved to Barret. I'll see ya later this week."

"Yeah yeah, get out of here with your scrawny ass." But the way he said it had something of an enduring feeling to it. The two of them left out heading down the street on the way to the dorms. Cid was still wiping at his forehead, his goggles having little specks of oil on them that Vincent found he wanted to wash clean. Hell, he didn't mind the idea of just washing Cid in general. But he couldn't take that chance in such a public dorm.

"Cid." He said the name lightly but it still made the other turn his head to look at him with curiosity. "What are you doing for break?" It was strange that he was able to walk around with just a turtleneck today. Considering it was winter here, he thought the weather would be colder. Instead it seemed to go back and forth being freezing one day then t-shirt weather the next.

"Hm? Eh…I don't know yet. Probably nothing." Cid blinked up at him. "Why?"

"…I was wondering if you'd like to come to my house for break."

"Eh?" Cid blinked freezing where he was. "Wow, I'm meeting the parents already?" He seemed almost nervous though his lips showed him smiling. "Gonna introduce me as the boyfriend of your dreams?"

"…I might," Vincent said making the smile on Cid's face drop to shock. "My mom knows I'm gay," Vincent said smiling at him to relax him. "So it wouldn't be a shocker if I brought a man home."

"Heh wow…I wasn't really expecting that." Cid smiled as the two of them started to walk again. "I like the idea of seeing what your house looks like." He smiled at him grinning as he stretched his arms over his head. "Hell, I get to see the room you wanked off in."

"C-Cid!"

"Well it's true!" Cid said laughing. "Fuck! I used to wank off all the time in high school!" Vincent blushed at the admission trying not to let it put such naughty images in his head. He almost wanted to ask what Cid thought about when he did it but he left it alone.

"You're thinking about me wanking off aren't you?" Cid said face suddenly close to Vincent's making the other step back quickly with a blush.

"I-I'm not!" Vincent yelled out wishing his had his red scarf with him to hide his blush.

Cid made a face. "Don't tell me I'm the only one that does that!" He yelled out dramatically. "Fuck, I think about you doing it all the time." His face lit up as he grinned leaning closer. "Think we'll have a chance to do it while we're there?"

"No," Vincent said resting fingers against his forehead wishing his face would stop turning red. "I have little siblings there that don't understand the concept of privacy."

"Damn."

"You'll just have to wait a bit longer until we get our rental place." He blinked tensing up when the felt the other move behind him hugging him close. He knew his face was red this time, especially since there were people still walking around. "C-Cid. We're still in public."

"I don't care anymore," Cid said nuzzling his neck pulling him closer as he looked out past him. "Fuck, I don't care what people think. I'm tired of not getting to hold you whenever the fuck I want."

"Cid…" Vincent smiled softly and started to relax, reaching down to rest his hand over Cid's ignoring how some people seemed to show disapproval at their open display of affection. What did it matter to other people what they did? It wasn't any of their business anyway. Hell, they were human beings. They should be allowed to love whoever they wanted. He turned himself around in Cid's arms to face him before he leaned down resting his forehead against Cid's, happy to see the other staring up at him and smiling softly. "I love you."

"Good," Cid said leaning in giving his lips a quick kiss. "Otherwise I'd feel silly doing this." He smiled against his lips kissing him a bit longer before he broke it reaching down to hold Vincent's hand. "Now let's get the fuck back to the dorms. It's getting chilly out here."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

It was getting a little…odd how often Sephiroth was showing up at the bakery. Though then again, from what Melissa said, he was a regular customer and one she openly swooned over getting to serve. She said he'd been away for a while on business so he'd told her. She wasn't the only one excited over him though. Many women that came to the shop gawked at the man. He was beautiful and very attractive, handsome, poised. Of course women would want to be near him. The same could be said of Vincent who'd drawn even more women to the shop ever since he started working there. They found his mysterious, quiet nature a nice quality. So when you put these two different men together, one quiet one confident, it wasn't a lie that every female eye in the shop turned their way. It was why Melissa tended to like to send him to take Sephiroth's order.

For Vincent it was kind of unnerving. He didn't like attention, something his eyes brought to him all the time. He had enough to deal with at the college with the girls that stalked him around wanting his attention. Now he had to deal with it at work as well? But that wasn't the only reason he'd been feeling uncomfortable lately.

"You're doing a good job of knowing what I like," Sephiroth said staring up at him with his pulsating green eyes. He had something of a smirk on his face, his finger spinning circles around the rim of the coffee mug in front of him that had yet to be touched by his lips.

"It is my job to make the customer's happy," Vincent said frowning slightly as he gave his head a small bow.

"Then it would make me very happy if you would join me tonight for some dinner."

"…I can't," Vincent said, the request so common now he wasn't even surprised. "I'm meeting with someone tonight."

"That seems to be the common answer that you give me every time," Sephiroth said pausing to pick up the cup and taking a sip of the contents inside as his eyes went up to stare at Vincent watchfully over the rim. When he lowered the cup and his tongue went out to lick clean the excess coffee on his lips, Vincent cut his eyes away quickly shifting himself in discomfort. He wouldn't lie. The guy was very attractive. It was almost torture to be next to someone so hot.

Sephiroth was talking again, but Vincent was barely listening. He was thinking about Cid, smiling a bit when he thought about what tonight was going to be. They were going on a date tonight. Not just a walk through the park this time but an actual date. It was their first real date since getting together and it put a blush on his lips just thinking about it.

"….troduce me to your friend." Wait…what did he just miss?

"Sorry, what?" Vincent said looking back down at Sephiroth and finding an amused smile staring back at him.

"I said you should introduce me to your friend. Maybe the three of us can go out to eat tomorrow. My treat." He leaned back in the chair, one leg crossed over the other as he stared up at Vincent.

"I…well…"

"Vincent, you're needed behind the counter!" Melissa's voice ranged out to him. Thank god Melissa was there to give him distraction.

"Sorry, I have to go." He reached down grabbing the saucer with the cup on top and froze tensing up when Sephiroth's hand went around his wrist holding him in place.

"Think about it," Sephiroth said smirking up at him. "I'll wait here until closing." He released his grip on Vincent's wrist leaving the ebony haired male standing there staring at him.

"Vincent, hurry up!"

"Coming!" He glanced down at Sephiroth one last time before he frowned and turned walking away towards the counter. He knew the green eyes were following him but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Really, why was Sephiroth asking him that? Worse, why was Sephiroth so determined to hang out with him? Maybe he just needed a friend? Yeah that had to be it…it wasn't that Vincent was reading too much into his actions.

He could faintly feel the other's eyes following him everywhere he went but he did his best to ignore it fulfilling his duties of serving customers and helping out in the kitchen. He'd been helping with the dishes and with baking the pastries and sweets that were running lower. The plus side of working in the kitchen was that he was able to avoid the eyes of his customers, and Sephiroth, staring at him. Mrs. Cook observed his culinary work in the back giving a nod of approval when he did something to her liking. She was really helping in explaining what each spice did and how they each insinuated the tastes of the delicious pastries. She was even able to tell him how to make something taste good to a person who couldn't eat a lot of sugars or salts.

It was easy to lose track of time, especially when he came back to help at the register and to run orders to various tables for the customers to eat. Even the old man was there with his usual mocha that Vincent had learned to make just right. He called the old man Mr. Walker and found out that he was a really old friend to Mrs. Cook. The two seemed to enjoy jibing at each other whenever the opportunity opened itself up for it. So again, he lost the ability to keep track of time until he blinked finding Cid standing at the counter and looking a little embarrassed to be in the little café while it was still busy.

Instantly, Vincent's eyes shot up to the clock before he blinked. He still had an hour left for work. What was Cid doing here so early?

"Hey Cid, you coming here as a customer for once?" Melissa said smiling good naturedly. She was used to seeing the man now and had developed a small friendship with him. Granted, she enjoyed riling the man up. "Not just here to ogle your boyfriend, are you?" Yeah…she knew. She knew they were dating. And she didn't care one bit about it other than to find fun in teasing the two when she could.

"Yeah, I guess," Cid said his Moogle pack of cigarettes tucked up on the side of his head strapped in place by the goggles. "Class let out early today so I figured I'd just come hang out here till work was over." He said it as he glanced over at Vincent making the man blush red. Hell, he had no complaints on seeing Cid earlier than expected. "So uh…just get me one of those things," he pointed to an apple turnover, "and a cup of some damn hot tea."

"With or without the glaze?"

"Hell yeah, I want the glaze," he said grinning. "And some of that powdery stuff too." Melissa giggled putting the order in and Vincent couldn't help smiling at Cid's gruffness. It was just one of the things he loved about the man.

"Fine. I've ranged it up. Go have a seat over there. Vincent'll bring it out to you in a jiffy." Cid gave a rough nod before he turned heading towards the table shoving his hands into his pockets. While he was leaving, Vincent grabbed a turnover heating it up while the tea was filling up the small coffee cup. He added some lemon to it and some sugar having an idea of how Cid liked his tea from past experiences in making it for him.

He noticed that some of the women were already staring and swooning over Cid's manly hotness, but he didn't let it get to him. Hell, he already knew Cid belonged to him. He had nothing to fear of anyone trying to steal him away. As he carried the tray over to Cid he found himself smiling more when he got closer seeing the blue eyes light up at the sight of the sticky treat.

"Here you are, sir," Vincent said sitting the saucer down in front of Cid along with the cup of tea. He waited, anxious to see what Cid thought of it. He'd made the apple turnovers himself. And granted he'd seen people eating them before with no complaints, it was something else to just hear Cid say he liked it. "Please taste it to see if it's to your liking."

"Don't mind if I fucking do," Cid said, not so loud that people would complain about his cursing but enough that Vincent could hear it. He used his fork to dig in tearing a piece away before bringing it to his lips and eating it. And Vincent watched every move from the moving jaws chomping down on the flaky crust covered in glaze to the way Cid closed his eyes and seemed to moan in his mouth at the delicious taste. When the eyes opened again staring up at him he swore his heart stopped beating for a moment. Drop dead sexy.

"Fuuuuck, this is good," Cid said staring up at him.

"I'm…I'm glad you like it," Vincent said the small smile lifting on his lips again as he hugged the tray to him. Really, when did he start smiling this much? Was it ever since Cid started talking to him? Or when they started dating? He wasn't really sure and he really didn't care so long as Cid was there with him. But as much as he wanted to stay here all day and stare at Cid while he ate, he needed to get back to work. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Well, I know something I wouldn't fucking mind having," Cid said. Vincent blinked staring at him but when he saw the eyes slide down to his crotch he blushed bright red moving the tray down to casually hide his crotch from view.

"C-Cid."

"Get me another one of these fucking apple things," Cid said turning his eyes back to the saucer but not before Vincent saw the cheeky smirk on Cid's lips. "Just one ain't gonna be e-fucking-nough."

"Alright," Vincent said glad to feel his cheeks cooling down and his heart beat slowing down a little bit. "I'll bring it out to you in a jiffy." He borrowed Melissa's word giving Cid a smile at the laugh he gave him before turned heading back to the counter.

"Having fun playing with your boyfriend?" Melissa said laughing at the blush on his face.

"More or less," he said glancing over to see Cid literally devouring the apple turnover on his saucer.

"You should definitely smile more." She smiled over at him when she said it. "It looks cute on you."

Vincent blushed deciding not to answer that as he took a few more orders from the customers before he worked on making another apple turnover for Cid. He started heading to the table with the fresh dessert before he froze, his eyes widening as he stared towards the table. Cid wasn't alone anymore. Sephiroth was there, chattering and making Cid laugh like they were old friends. It felt awkward to see the man so close to his boyfriend and made him frown before he moved walking over and placing the saucer down in front of Cid.

"Vincent, why didn't you tell me you knew Cid?" Sephiroth said smiling up at him. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

Vincent blinked and tensed slightly looking away from the eyes. "I didn't know you knew each other."

"Hell yeah," Cid said already digging into the turnover. "He used to help me with my literature homework back at Chocobo High." The orgasmic look on Cid's face at the taste of the turnover was perfect…or at least it would have been had Sephiroth not been there to ruin the effect.

"Cid was really horrible when it came to literature."

"I know," Vincent said standing up straighter and frowning down at the man's green eyes. "I'm helping him with his literature homework right now."

"I see," Sephiroth said smirking up at him. It made him wilt some seeing the eyes feeding on him before he looked away again.

"Sephy here asked if we wanted to eat dinner with him tomorrow. Something about a fucking delicious seafood restaurant or something." Sephy...?

"It's a place my family owns," Sephiroth said not even fazed by the small nickname that dropped from Cid's lips. "I think the two of you will find it very appetizing." The way the eyes seemed to roam over Vincent's body just sent more shivers through his thin form. This man…what did he want with them? Was he trying to ruin their perfect chemistry? "So are you still dating Shera?" Vincent's eyes snapped over to Cid in surprise. Shera? Who was Shera? He'd never heard that name before.

"Nah," Cid said looking uncomfortable at the sound of the name. "We kinda broke it off before I got to college. Not something I like to fuckin talk about." The look in Cid's eyes made Vincent's own eyes soften at the sight. What happened to put that kind of defeated look on Cid's face?

"Hmm…a shame," Sephiroth said frowning. "You two looked good together."

"Nah," Cid said before a soft smile appeared on his lips. "Thanks to that I'm dating the hottest babe in the world." The words made Vincent's heart melt before he found himself smiling softly in return seeing the eyes glance his way.

"Then you should bring your date to our dinner get together tomorrow," Sephiroth said.

"Oh don't worry, he'll fucking be there," Cid said grinning up at Vincent. "Ain't that right, babe?"

Vincent tensed up at the unexpected attention. "I uh…y-yeah," Vincent said blushing red at the admission, his eyes so focused on Cid's that he missed the frown that passed over Sephiroth's face. But it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared before the silver haired male was chuckling.

"I see now," he said smiling at them kindly. "Then I must congratulate you. This is an interesting turn of events." Something about how he said that put Vincent on edge. But it seemed to slide past Cid who chuckled nervously and scratched behind his head shyly.

"Fuck, you're makin me blush," Cid said laughing. "Anyway, Vin, go finish up so we can get the fuck out of here." He smiled when he said it. "I can't wait to take you on this date." Vincent just gave a nod though inside he felt warm seeing the smile on Cid's face. He really was looking forward to it as well, even if he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow's dinner.

"Don't worry about wearing anything fancy tomorrow. We'll have a private dining area." Sephiroth smirked up at Vincent as he handed him the emptied sauce. It was just a little twist up of the lips but it was enough to make him wonder if there was something more going on with Sephiroth's plan. But before he had a chance to really think about it he was heading off back to the kitchen to wash the dishes he was sure had been gathered there.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Something on your mind, Vin?"

Vincent blinked looking over at Cid. The watchful blue eyes were looking at him worriedly. It made him feel like a heel for bringing down this date they were on. They were at the city carnival that came into town this week. It was his first time really going to one since his mom was never able to afford it. He admitted he was excited about going, especially after seeing all the colorful lights and the cheesy carnival music that seemed to spread its own good natured cheer around. He should have been having fun. Instead he was still thinking about Sephiroth, trying to figure out what the older man wanted. He'd never really talked to him that much in school before, so why was he talking to him now?

"It's nothing," Vincent said tucking his head down slightly. He remembered to bring his red scarf with him and was happy about it as he tugged his chin down in it and pulled his coat tighter around himself. It was still pretty chilly out just not crazy cold like it'd been the last week. They had finals next week before the two of them would be heading out to his mother's house for the break.

A part of that bothered him too. They were a struggling family, people that were living off very little income and using every resource that they could just to live. He'd started sending some money home to help his mother out, even if she kept repeatedly telling him to keep his money. But how could he knowing they were at home struggling? So he was excited about the idea of getting to see them and check up on them even if it meant Cid having to see the kind of life style he lived in.

"It must be something for you to be this damn fucking quiet," Cid said frowning. "You ain't really said much of anything since we got here." Since there was a no smoking sign outside the carnival, he'd made sure to get all the nicotine he could before they went inside. Vincent could smell the faint scent of the Moogle cigarettes hovering around Cid. But he didn't care. It'd become a unique part of Cid that he didn't think he'd be the same without. He felt Cid reach down and hold his hand and found himself smiling as he stared at him. No, this wasn't the time to be worrying about things. He was here to have fun, right?

"It's nothing, really," Vincent said ignoring the people around them as he squeezed Cid's hand lightly. "How about we get on that?" He pointed towards the Merry Go Round. Cid followed his eyes, lifting a brow slightly.

"…Bet that would be fucking interesting to have sex on."

"Cid!"

"What?" Cid looked at him innocently completely ignoring the mortified blush on Vincent's face. "I'm just stating a fucking fact. Shit." But he was grinning when he said it making Vincent laugh out despite himself. "There we go. There's that fucking laugh I love."

"Cid…" Vincent smiled swearing he'd be so lost right now if it weren't for this man.

"Alright," the blond said tugging on Vincent's hand as he led them to the ride. "Let's fucking ride a horse. Then we're getting on that damn roller coaster whether you want to or not."

"Yes sir," Vincent said following after him like a willing pup on a leash.

An hour and a half had passed by the time they were leaving and heading back towards the dorms. Cid was talking, sometimes about the carnival and sometimes about other things with Vincent putting his two cents in every so often. They'd had fun. There were a lot of things they did together like riding on the bumper cars and the haunted house that wasn't scary at all. They shared a funnel cake together with Cid laughing each time the powder got on Vincent's face. They also rode on the roller coaster Cid had been determined from the start to get them on leaving Vincent with clenched eyes and a tight lip each time they declined at a fast speed. They even got to spend a little bit of intimate time on the ferris wheel. Granted they didn't do much but at least they got to get some good kissing in.

"Let's cut through here," Cid said stopping by an alleyway. Vincent frowned already being tugged into the dark alley.

"I don't know…isn't this kind of dangerous?"

"Nah, it's cool," Cid said laughing. "We'll be in and out before you know it." He was still holding his hand warming the chill that was taking over Vincent's fingers and giving him the confidence to follow along. He'd heard about alleys, about how people would hide in them and threaten you with a knife to give them all your money. Honestly, Vincent didn't have enough to give. That poor bandit would be robbing the poor. But he guessed to a robber, he was considered rich in their eyes.

His body was suddenly pushed back against the side of the wall and a small sound escaped him as he tensed up. But he calmed down barely making out Cid's features in front of him before the other was kissing him. He didn't get to ask why Cid was doing this here, his eyes slipping shut as the kiss deepened. A tongue pushed against his lips asking for entry and he didn't deny it as he opened his mouth. He felt Cid's hand sliding underneath his shirt touching along his cold skin with warm fingers that sent a chill through his body.

A moan slipped from his lips into the other's mouth as he felt his shorter lover starting to grind against him. Just from this he was already excited down there. He barely took notice of the other sliding his free hand down to unbutton his pants, the feel of a warm hand sliding up the small of his back sending chills through his body. Cid broke the kiss leaving the two of them panting and staring at each other before Cid dropped to his knees in front of him.

"C-Cid?" He knew the questioning sound was in his shaky voice. He couldn't focus on what Cid was doing, his breath coming out as smoke before his flushed face. His eyes followed Cid down to where he was kneeling in front of him before his eyes clenched shut and he bit his lips to keep the muffled moan silent against the quiet of the alley. He could feel the warmth of the mouth working around him and felt trapped against the wall, his hands moving down to grip Cid's hair as he pushed his hips forward against the heat.

It'd been so long since he'd gotten to feel this pleasure that he found himself snapping his hips forward. His breath came out in harder pants, his mouth opened slightly as he dipped his head back against the wall, shoulders tense as his back arched away from the hard surface. Cid didn't say anything, not that he could considering his position.

His whole body tensed up before he relaxed with a shuttering breath, his fingers relaxing the grip on the blond hair. Cid stood again, swallowing slightly before he leaned forward kissing Vincent's lips softly again and reaching down to fix the pants. He leaned back when he finished then leaned forward pressing a kiss to Vincent's temple.

"Feeling better?" He said resting his forehead against Vincent's.

"…Hm?" Vincent blinked staring into the blue eyes. Cid chuckled in response as he wrapped his arms around Vincent's waist pulling him closer.

"You've been pretty damn tense lately," Cid said burying his nose in Vincent's neck. "I figured you must not have been able to fucking knock one off for a while or something." Well…that was true. Since that night he'd spent with Cid he hadn't had the time or freedom or even the privacy to do anything. Though that was only part of the reason for his supposed tenseness. But he wasn't ready to mention his suspicions of Sephiroth, not when Cid seemed to speak so highly of him. They must have been very close at some point. "Thought I'd try helping out."

"Thanks," Vincent said sighing against his neck gently kissing it. "It really did help."

"Good," Cid said pulling back and laughing. "You still taste pretty fucking sweet." When Cid winked at him after the statement and the words sunk in on what he really mean, Vincent found his cheeks turning a bright red.

"Cid!" Vincent pushed him away bashfully but Cid just laughed and looking almost like he was skipping with how fast he was walking away.

"Come on, Vin! Let's get back. I'm fucking exhausted." Vincent sighed, rubbing at his cheeks before he followed after him to exit the alley and continue their track towards the dorms.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: Warning for Juicy bits towards the end. XD Though not detailed but safe enough for this site...I think.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 10

The place Sephiroth took them took was called Jenova Cuisine. It was a new upcoming restaurant that catered to the rich and famous and was popular for its seafood dishes. It sat along a pier by the water for the perfect view of the sea and the many fishing boats that passed along its path. Vincent could see how something like this could be romantic…well except the whole Sephiroth being there part.

The two slipped out of the smooth black ride belonging to Sephiroth and stared up at the building in true awe. Vincent saw the smirk on Sephiroth's face at the look and frowned even as the older male chuckled and curled a finger in a follow me gesture.

"Come," he said starting to walk, Cid completely missing the look since he'd been too focused on the restaurant. "Just follow me this way. We'll go through the back way. I have a private room set up for the three of us so you can stay relaxed and eat as much as you want."

"This uh…this isn't super expensive, is it?" Cid was rubbing at his head following along with a reluctant Vincent as they entered the restaurant the back way through the kitchen. When the cooks looked up they were quick to bow their heads showing respect to the man before returning to making the meals in front of them. Sephiroth didn't even seem bothered by the bows as he kept walking moving to another door leading to the interior.

He chuckled looking over his shoulder at Cid as he spoke. "Everything is on the house today. You're here as my guest. I wouldn't make you pay to eat when I'm the one who invited you here."

"Alright. But don't fucking complain when I eat me fill."

"Don't worry," Sephiroth said holding the door letting Cid through. When Vincent started to follow he noticed Sephiroth staring at him with the smirk on his lips again. "Everything is being compensated for." He winked his eye not missing the uncomfortable frown on Vincent's face. This wasn't some kind of trap was it? Though the food he smelled in the kitchen as they walked by smelled plenty good. The fact that Sephiroth came through without a questioning eye must have meant he did this often…the inviting people to dinner part anyway. But it still bothered Vincent that he didn't know the man's motives behind this.

They walked through the quiet of a hallway that seemed hidden from the public eye. He could see through the glass staring down at people below that ate away at their meals without even realizing that they were being watched. He wondered if they looked up would they see him. But it wasn't like they knew who he was. Would they even care?

"Here we are, gentlemen," Sephiroth said opening the door for them. He gestured with a hand for the two to enter, only pausing to speak to the man at the door before he followed them inside. Cid was literally frozen by the door, staring around the room with the most awed expression on his face. It was probably the cutest face he'd ever made besides when he was sleeping. So despite the situation, Vincent couldn't help smiling at him enjoying how the blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the candle lights of the chandelier overhead. They had a perfect view out the large window to the sun that was just starting to set over the horizon past the sea. He could easily get lost in it.

"Please, have a seat here," a waiter said walking over to them before gesturing to the only table in the room. They followed his request, going over to the elaborate table decorated with who knew how many silverwares, perfectly folded napkins, and a wine glasses that he knew he'd be too young to drink. Vincent sat beside Cid at the square table and frowned when Sephiroth sat in front of him. Aside from the little smile and the small wave of fingers in his direction, Vincent ignored him in favor of reading over the menu. So many things looked good on the menu it was hard for him to choose what he wanted. He swore he could feel Sephiroth looking at him from across the table and frowned doing his best not to show him any attention.

"Fuck…everything looks so fucking delicious. Vin, what are ya getting?" Vincent looked over hearing Cid's voice before he looked down at the menu again. It took him a minute to choose but when he did he pointed to it on Cid's menu. "Wow that sounds pretty damn delicious. Shit, I guess I need to pick something too huh?" Cid chuckled before he took his turn pointing down at the menu. "Guess I'll fucking get this here. Sounds delicious as hell to me anyway." Vincent blinked staring down at the selection before he gave a nod. It did sound good. Hell, he was almost tempted to change his choice. But he still wanted to eat the one he'd picked.

"Is everyone ready to order?" The waiter was back holding the notepad in his hand as he stared down at them with a gentle smile. He looked cute. It was something Vincent had taken notice of when he'd first entered. He wondered if all of the waiters looked like this. But then he didn't have time to think on it when it was time to give his order. The rest of the orders were taken down quickly before the waiter bowed saying he would return shortly with drinks before he was gone again. With no menu to distract him, Vincent found himself looking around.

Really, should it be legal for a place to look this good? The details of the stone columns, the beautiful paintings on the wall, and even the richness of the red velvet carpet made him feel like he was in some luxury world he didn't belong in. He almost felt bad that he had to walk on the carpet to get there. Well, it wasn't like he could fly to the table anyway.

"How have things been going with you two?" Vincent looked up at the voice and felt his cheeks go red with how intensely it felt like Sephiroth was staring at him.

"It's been pretty good. Told ya I was working at the auto shop across the street from the bakery, right?" Could Cid not see the look in Sephiroth's eyes? How could he trust the man so easily? "We're tryin ta find a rental place were six people can stay."

"Six? Hmm that sounds like a lot." Sephiroth chuckled turning his eyes away to look at Cid leaving Vincent to breathe before he realized he'd been holding his breath. "Actually, we just had a family move out of one of the houses we own. We're looking to have some people come to rent it out."

"I'm pretty sure the payout demand would be a little too high for us," Vincent said casting suspicion on the idea.

"Nonsense. You both are friends. If I talk to my dad, I can have it brought down to a price you can afford."

"Sounds a little too good to be true," Cid said leaning his elbows down on the table as he rested his chin on his hands staring across the table at Sephiroth. "How much are we talking here?"

"After I have a talk with my dad…at most 250 a month. That includes the water, electricity, internet, and cable. It's a two story house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. There's a large kitchen down on the bottom floor, a big entertainment room, and a two door powered garage. You can choose to either keep the furniture that's there or get your own."

"…And what's the catch?"

"None," Sephiroth said laughing at the suspicion. "Well, besides letting me come to visit sometimes to make sure everything is in order."

"Well hell," Cid said grinning bit. "I could make that kind of deal."

"Cid, we should think this over," Vincent said frowning as he reached out grabbing Cid's arm. Something was wrong about this, he just couldn't figure out what. The innocent look on Sephiroth's face gave nothing away but he could just feel that underlying hint that there was more to this little offer than Sephiroth was saying. Why was he being so nice to them? He barely knew them right? Well he barely knew Vincent anyway. "We'll…let you know our answer once we've had the chance to talk over it."

Sephiroth nodded his head. "Fair enough. You have two weeks to respond to the offer. Otherwise I can't keep it open and will have to give it to the next available customer. But if it helps…we can take a tour of it maybe next weekend?" He left it open as a question as he lifted his brow looking back and forth between the two of them. "Think on it." They quieted down as the food was brought out, everyone starting to eat their share of the meal.

Vincent hated to admit it, but the food was delicious. He found it hard to stop eating it and glanced over to find that Cid was practically the same way. Sephiroth only smirked at the two of them eating much more slowly and with better manners than say Cid who literally had sauce on his cheek from his seafood pasta. It made Vincent frown watching Cid eat away at something so ravenously that wasn't made by him. It made him tighten his hand around his fork and glare down at the food. He needed to get better at cooking, to develop better and tastier skills.

He missed how Sephiroth's green eyes seemed to darken as they stared at him or how the smirk on the man's lips seemed to lift up into a more sinister grin before he took a bite of his own baked salmon. The only think he could do was think about how much he wanted to be out of that place.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Damn, that shit was delicious!" Cid belched loudly not fazed by the two girls turning to glare at him as they walked by. He rubbed at his stomach giving a groan of pain yet satisfaction at just how full he was. "Fuck, I don't think I can eat anything for days after that!" Vincent didn't respond, his thoughts plagued with Sephiroth as he walked beside Cid silently, tugging anxiously at his scarf. "Vin?"

"He's up to something…."

"Heh?" Cid blinked looking over at him as they walked into the dorms. "What are you talking about? Who's up to something?"

"Sephiroth…he…there's something there. He's trying to do something. But I don't know what." Cid gave him a look like he was crazy making Vincent sigh as he rubbed at his hair in frustration. "Can't you see it? It's right there on his face, in his eyes. I don't know what he's up to but it's been since day one."

"Look," Cid said stopping them as he turned looking up at Vincent with a frown. "I don't know what's going on, but Sephiroth's not a bad person. Hell, the guy literally went out of his way to make sure I passed my English class."

"Look it's…" At the frown deepening on Cid's lips, Vincent sighed looking down with defeat as he let his shoulders slump forward. "It's nothing…. I'm just being paranoid."

Cid smiled up at him. "Just relax. We'll be visiting your mom tomorrow, right? We'll worry about the small details like a place to stay till we get back." Not that they had much time when they got back. They'd have a week to prepare for the next semester. But it at least gave him a week to figure out what to do.

Cid placed a hand behind Vincent's head pulling him down as he leaned in kissing his lips. It made Vincent blink and blush as he pulled back and glanced around quickly to see the hallway empty. As much as he didn't mind the public kissing, something about doing it at school made him nervous. Still, it served to relax him as he found himself smiling down at the blue eyes staring at him. "Go get some fucking rest, ok? We've got a train to catch and stuff."

"Alright…I'll see you in the morning, Chief." He started to walk off but Cid's voice caught him before he got far.

"Chief?"

Vincent looked over his shoulder at Cid before smiling. "Yeah...you're going to be the pilot of the Tiny Bronco, right? That makes you like the captain in command. The leader and general. The Chief."

"Heh." Cid smiled rubbing a finger under his nose to hide his embarrassment. "Well fuck yeah I would be. Fuck…Vin…." Vincent literally almost fell over from the look on Cid's face. It wasn't the usual gruff look or the constantly pissed off one. It was like he'd seen the one wish he'd always wanted come true. The blue eyes sparkling with a sort of glossiness he'd never seen before. It was like he could read everything thing and could see just how much those small words had meant to Cid. Yeah, he'd be a success. He wouldn't be a laughingstock anymore. He'd obtain his dreams…just like Vincent would.

::::::::::::::::

They took a cab from the train station to his home. Considering how much the whole trip cost him, Vincent was glad he thought to save up some money for it. Home sweet home didn't even express the joy he felt when he saw their little duplex. It was still in good condition even if it was pretty tiny for their decent sized family. As soon as the taxi door closed, Vincent saw the front door open. The first things he saw were the two twin boys rushing out in excitement with short cropped black hair and ebony eyes that somehow managed to shine brightly with joy. They were ten years old and named Jacob and Joshua. They looked like mixture duplicates of Vincent himself.

"Vincent!"

"Vincent, you're home!" The two ran over to him hugging him from both sides and laughing so hard it put a smile on the red eyed male's face. He looked up noticing how Cid was staring down at them and smiling though he didn't miss the small shade of sadness behind the glossy blue eyes. He was going to have to ask him about that. He wanted to know more about Cid. Not just the good things. He wanted to know the bad things too, the things that made Cid sad or angry and upset. He wanted to share his pains with him as much as he wanted to bask in his laughter. "Vincent, who's this?"

"His name is Cid," Vincent said staring down at the two twins looking up at him. "He goes to college with me." He turned his eyes up to his blond lover giving another smile as he gestured to the two boys. "This is Jacob and Joshua. My twin brothers."

"I can tell," Cid said laughing staring at the three of them. "The resemblance is fu…freaking noticeable." He was trying not to cuss. It was an effort but Vincent was thankful for it, especially since his brothers had a habit of picking things up quick.

"Where's mom?"

"She's inside cooking with Amy," Joshua spoke up before he frowned making a face. "She's makin meatloaf tonight." It definitely wasn't one of his favorite highlight dishes and not one the two twins enjoyed eating. But as long as it was food on the table, that was all that mattered.

Vincent looked over at Cid before he picked up his bags. "Well, let's go say hi. She's looking forward to meeting you."

"Uh…yeah." He could tell Cid was nervous just from the look on his face like he wanted to run away. Vincent imagined he'd probably be the same way if he ever met Cid's family. He wondered if he had any siblings and could imagine his mother being a beautiful woman. As he headed for the house following the two twins bursting with enthusiasm, Vincent looked back watching Cid following him. He was holding his own suitcase in hand and had his backpack on his back holding his laptop along with other various items.

The smell of meatloaf greeted his nose upon entry. He could smell the meaty flavor that had his stomach grumbling with hunger. His mother wasn't a bad cook. After all he'd learned a lot of the things he did from her. They dropped the stuff off in the living room before he heard the pattering of tiny feet running out of the kitchen. He turned around just as his little sister Amy rushed up to him and dipped down scooping her up easily making her giggle. She'd just turned four this year before Vincent had left for college. She was like his little duckling with how she followed him around. He wouldn't deny that he spoiled her but he couldn't help it. She was also the only girl out of the four siblings.

"This is Amy," Vincent said smiling as he rubbed his nose against her cheek affectionately making her giggle. "She just turned four. She's my little sister." He swore his smile was permanently stuck to his face after seeing his family again. He missed them. He really did. He wished school was closer somehow.

"You have a nice family here," Cid said chuckling as he stared at him with that soft smile on his lips again along with those sad eyes. "Definitely puts a cute smile on your face." It made Vincent sober feeling the smile leave his face as he stared at him worriedly. Maybe Cid missed his family too? He must have lived in the area since he went to Chocobo High. Maybe while they were on break they could visit Cid's home as well. He didn't mind the idea of seeing it anyway.

"Cid?"

"Vincent, is that you?" His mother peeked out of the kitchen looking towards them. He saw Cid's mouth drop open at the sight and knew the reason for it. Vincent was like a direct clone of his mother. They both had the long black hair and slender bodies. In fact if it weren't for his mother having breast, a lighter voice, and a slightly older look to her, you'd think they were twins. He'd heard it before, how much he looked like his mother, except her eyes were black like the other children and nothing like Vincent's. There was a reason for that though.

"It's me," Vincent said unable to keep the smile from lifting to his face at the sight of her. He'd missed her, his mother. "We're home." He gestured quickly to Cid seeing the other shut his mouth quickly. "This is Cid. He's the…the one I was talking to you about on the phone."

"Ah, so this is your boyfriend?" She smiled warmly not even phased by how embarrassed Vincent looked at having that admission spoken out loud. "He's as cute as you said he was," she said walking over and smiling holding a hand out towards Cid. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cid."

"Same to ya, Mrs. Valentine."

"Katie," she said gripping the hand and shaking it. "Call me Katie." She never did care much for being called Mrs. Valentine. There was a reason behind it that Vincent would rather not think about. Instead, she always told people to call her Katie no matter the age. "Well, I don't want to hold the two of you up. Jacob. Joshua. Please help them get settled in while I finish making dinner."

"Yes mama!" The two boys saluted her before they were moving grabbing what items they could carry and taking them up the stairs. "Come on, Vincent!"

Vincent looked over at Cid giving a slight shrug of his shoulders as he smiled at him. "This…is my family."

"I like it," Cid said smiling back at him before he reached out ruffling the little girl's hair that was still in Vincent's arms. "Here, I'll grab your stuff." He smirked as he picked up the two suitcases. "I can't wait to see your room."

"Cid…" Vincent blushed following the blond as he made his way up the stairs. He sat Amy down on the way, holding her hand as he walked to his room. Cid was standing in the center of it, his hands on his hips as he looked around the place. The two twins seemed oblivious as they laughed jumping up and down on Vincent's bed before he shooed them out. They took Amy with them, but not without sticking tongues out at Vincent before he shut the door on them. Well…he didn't miss how annoying they could be anyway.

"So this is your room?" Cid said turning around to look at him, staring as Vincent leaned back against the door.

"It is…" It wasn't much besides a few posters of TV shows that he used to like as a kid. He didn't really follow the mainstream media so he didn't know what was considered the in thing to watch. He did have a small radio on his dresser that looked like it'd seen better years. His bed looked old but it was larger than the ones the dorms had. There was a small mattress laid out beside the bed that he assumed would be used for his guest. He had a feeling Cid would hardly use it.

"So this is the room Vincent used to jack one off in." Cid was walking towards him. It made him swallow as his eyes went down to those hips and travelled their way up to Cid's eyes. Why was this man so sexy?

"I-I never…"

"Maybe at night?" Cid was close, wrapping his arms around Vincent's waist as he leaned in kissing his neck. "Maybe you dreamed about it? Dreamed about me touching you like this." He couldn't deny it. He wanted it. He'd craved it from the first time he's set his eyes on Cid. The hands had slid up underneath his shirt and Vincent had to bite his lips to keep silent. How was Cid able to do this? Make him lose control so easily that his mind shattered? Night time…it'd be his first time since their first encounter together of Vincent getting to stay a whole night with Cid. He'd get to kiss him, cuddle against him, and overall absorb his body heat for himself. Though he doubted much else could be done, not with nosy siblings around.

"Boys! Dinner's ready! Wash up so you can come down and eat!"

Vincent blushed willing his strength to push Cid back as he tried to get orientated. He was panting and knew his face on down to his neck was probably bright red with embarrassment. He had to get some self-control. Cid didn't seem bothered about being pushed back, his smirk evident on his face as he stared at the mess he'd turned Vincent into.

"We should eat," Vincent said slipping free and opening the door. He could already hear the two twins complaining about having to eat the meatloaf. But at this point he needed the distraction. Otherwise, he was sure he'd stay up in that room with Cid and let him do whatever he wanted to him.

"I was eating," Cid said behind him but he didn't turn to look at him, feeling the eyes watching his body move and blushing knowing they were probably looking at his ass now. Control…right…keep control…this was going to be a long week.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

Dinner was decent even though the two twins kept making faces the whole time about having to eat meat loaf. But thanks to Vincent convincing them that he'd take them to the park tomorrow, they ate the rest of the meal without more complaints. After dinner, Vincent led Cid back up to his room where the two of them could hang out for a while. He was thinking of the plans he wanted to do while they were here in his hometown, including seeing if Cid wanted to visit his own home that probably wasn't that far away.

When nighttime came, he found himself snuggled up against Cid's side feeling the other's hand lightly rubbing against the small of his back. He was warm. Vincent didn't mind soaking up every bit of warmth from him either. He thought he could fall asleep just like this and looked forward to them getting their place where he could actually have that wish. He was still peeved about Sephiroth but being away from the college and the bakery actually gave him a break from the man being on his mind. Here it was just him and Cid. Nothing could get between them.

Vincent blinked when he felt his body being pushed back against the bed and stared up at the vague outline of Cid's upper body before he blushed.

"Cid…"

"What?" He felt Cid's lips lower down against his neck sucking on his skin and swallowed back the moan that threatened to slip free from his lips. "It's not my fault you smell so good after a nice shower," the mouth whispered against his skin. "Besides, if we keep quiet no one will know."

"T-That's not the…ngh…." It was getting harder to concentrate as he felt Cid's hand rubbing against his stomach and sliding down to tease at his waistband. "C…Cid…" He found himself reaching up and clenching hold of Cid's shirt, his body tensing as he arched his back up against the fingers touching his skin.

"Vincent?"

Vincent shoved Cid off of him quickly, literally knocking him off the bed onto the mattress below as he looked towards the door with wide eyes. He could hardly see the outline of the little girl at the door and swallowed wondering how long she'd been there. "Amy?"

"Vincent, I scared!" She rushed over to the bed literally stepping on Cid making him groan in pain as she held onto her older brother. Vincent smiled feeling himself relax a bit as he picked the young girl up rubbing her back feeling her hiccupping. She must have had another nightmare.

"Shh, it's ok," Vincent said lying down with her. "Here, you can sleep here for tonight, ok?"

"Ok…" She rested her head on the pillow beside him and he couldn't help petting her hair. He forgot how much the little girl would have nightmares and come running to him in the middle of the night. It made him wonder what she did when he wasn't there. Did she run to their mother? Or maybe to the babysitter that their mother would hire when she had to work late?

"Yeah, just forget all about your boyfriend on the floor," Cid said grumbling as he sat up leaning his arms on the side of the bed and glaring across the small lump at Vincent.

"Sorry," Vincent said soothing the girl until she fell asleep again. "She seems to get a lot of nightmares. They sort of started up before I left for college."

"Nah, I don't blame her," Cid said rubbing at his head. "But I still wanted to enjoy our darn snuggling time."

"You were doing a little more than snuggling."

"Heh well…"

"We'll have plenty of opportunities," Vincent said. "For now, you'll have to sleep on the mattress on the floor. We'll be too cramped if all three of us try to sleep together."

Cid laughed and flopped back on the mattress. "Well whatever. Still fu…freaking better since I'm still sharing a room with you." Vincent hummed slightly, closing his eyes as he felt his body relaxing. His heart wasn't beating a mile a minute anymore at least, though he couldn't help the heat of happiness at the fact that Cid was in his room. It put a smile on his face even as he was trying to fall asleep.

"Hey Vin?"

"…Yeah?"

"I'm glad I came here with you." Vincent smiled softly turning on his side and staring towards the wall.

"…I'm glad you came with me too." And he was. He wouldn't have ever dreamed that something like this could happen but it made him the happiness man in the world to have Cid at his side.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sunlight peeking through Vincent's open window and hitting him in the face was what woke him up the next morning. Shifting slightly, he squint his eyes sitting up and looked down at his side seeing the sleeping girl next to him before he smiled. Glancing over the side of the bed made him smile even bigger as he saw Cid stretched out on the mattress below. He wasn't alone though as the two twins had managed to sneak in during the night and managed to lounge on Cid's body like he was a pillow. One of them had their foot pressed up against Cid's cheek. They weren't the gentlest sleepers.

Vincent slipped from the bed and snuck out of the room quietly leaving behind his sleeping siblings and his boyfriend as he headed down to the kitchen. He could hear pots and pans and knew his mother was working hard to cook up a breakfast. Heading into the kitchen he went over to his mother giving her a kiss on the cheek as she set a frying pan on the stove to cook up some eggs.

"Morning mom."

"Morning Vincent," she said smiling over at him looking like she'd never slept with how perfectly her hair was. Quite the opposite of Vincent's who was shooting all over his head. "Everyone else still sleeping?"

"Yes." He smiled at her and went over to the fridge to pull out the ingredients for pancakes. "Everyone somehow ended up in my room this morning." But then he was used to that too. Hence why he told Cid he had no privacy.

"They really did miss you." She cracked the eggs and started scrambling them adding seasoning as she worked. "When I told them you were coming to visit, I couldn't get them to settle down. They've been excited for days."

"I can believe that," Vincent said laughing.

"How has school been?"

"It's been pretty good. We'll actually be learning to cook real meals next semester and not just sweets." Grabbing a bowl, he mixed up the pancake batter with eggs, milk, and other fixings before pulling out another pan to start them up. "And the bakery's been good as well. I'm learning a lot there from Mrs. Cook and her granddaughter. The patrons are really nice too." Well…there was Sephiroth though. He was nice but still…something was just weird about him.

"I told the twins I'd take them to the park today. So we'll be out of your hair if you wanted to do something today."

"Sorry, I feel like I'm putting you to work when you're supposed to be on break," she said though she was smiling as she started splitting the completed eggs onto plates.

"You're not a bothered," Vincent said frowning and flipping the pancakes. "If you ever need anything, you can always call me." His mother worked for the local diner here in the city. It wasn't a big place so the pay wasn't all that great. Yet lately they'd been hitting rock bottom with their earnings thanks to some new and upcoming restaurant right across the street. It was getting that his mother didn't need to go to work as much and the pay was going down. If things didn't change soon, she'd probably be let go.

She didn't really say anything in response but a small nod and a frown. She probably wanted to say that he needed to worry about himself. But she knew that she couldn't just let her children suffer because of her lack of work. Vincent knew she was trying to find more jobs and that it wasn't going so well. If he really wanted to help them, he needed to improve his skills as soon as possible.

The sound of shuffling feet greeted them as Cid came through the door followed by the two twins and the tiny girl. He looked tired, his face grumpy as he held an unlit cigarette between his lips. The two twins looked like they'd never slept at all with how much energy they had. Amy on the other hand was looking a little sluggish. Course that was probably because she'd just woken up.

"I must be still tired," Cid said grunting as he stared at them. "I think I'm seeing double…except one has some really messed up hair." Vincent and his mother looked at each other before they both burst into laughter.

"Please have a seat, Cid," Katie said behind her giggles. "Breakfast is ready." Cid's blue eyes lit up as he stared down at the food starting to wake up more. The two twins were already sitting and fighting over the syrup before Vincent grabbed it and poured some for both of them before handing it to Cid.

"Thanks," Cid said smiling up at him, brushing his fingers against Vincent's and making the red eyed male flush at the small touch. He didn't mind waking up to this every morning for the rest of his life.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Achoo!" Vincent frowned staring down at Amy who was holding his hand as they walked towards the park. She'd been sneezing and coughing all morning. It couldn't have been a good thing, especially since she usually liked the idea of going to the park. Jacob and Joshua were up ahead with Cid playing on the playground. The two were giggling and running away while Cid chased them down with this awkward run that made even Vincent laugh. He reminded him of what a father could have been like. Their father had been missing for about four years now, before Amy was born and the twins were about four or five themselves.

They didn't remember him; none really did but him and his mother. But then Vincent wasn't really fond of him to begin with. He never stayed home, never really talked to them treating them more like an acquaintance than a family. When he found out that their mother was pregnant with Amy and that it would be another mouth to feed, he left. There was no words, no good bye, just someday where he left and he never came back. If he was dead somewhere, Vincent didn't know. He didn't care either. What good was it to worry about someone that didn't exist in their family?

"You should go play," Vincent said looking down at Amy giving her a smile when she looked up at him with a runny nose. She must be catching a cold. But she still smiled at him, using a sleeve to wipe the wet nose before she rushed off to join her brothers. Vincent smiled sitting down on the bench and watched as the little girl laughed and joined the others on the playground.

Little time passed before Cid walked over joining him on the bench. The two sat together in silence, their knees bumping together though neither bothered to move away. Cid had his cig between his lips, taking an opportunity to catch himself a smoke since he'd barely had a chance since this morning. He seemed to sigh with contentment when the tip glowed red and the smoke billowed out between his lips.

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you," Cid said looking over at Vincent and catching hold of those red eyes. "Why are your eyes like that? Or are those contacts?"

"…They're my eyes," Vincent said wondering how long it would take for Cid to finally ask him about them. "It's…the way I was born. Something about it being a disease and that my eyes couldn't create the other pigments to make them look normal. For a long time I was called a demon child because of them. Now, I just tell people that they're contacts to settle their minds. After all, normal people don't have red eyes."

"Well I fucking like them." Cid leaned closer staring up into his eyes. "They're beautiful to me and really striking. I can't get enough of them." He smiled and reached up patting Vincent's cheek before he leaned back. "So don't try to hide them, ok? And don't be ashamed of them. It just means you're god damn unique. One of a fucking kind."

"Cid…" Vincent stared at him before smiling and nodding his head. One of a kind…that kind of fit Cid to the bill. Or at least, he was one of a kind in Vincent's heart.

"Vincent!"

"Vincent!"

The two twins rushed over in such a panic that Vincent hopped up quickly rushing over to meet them. Cid was right beside him, the two twins pointing frantically.

"It's Amy!" Jacob said.

"She fell down! She's not moving!" Joshua said. His body felt cold at the words as he found himself rushing forward before his mind fully developing the news. He found the young girl face first in the sand where she'd collapsed and ran over rolling her over.

"Amy!" She was breathing hard, panting, her eyes closed. She didn't respond to him looking like she was struggling to breath. Her skin was hot against his touch.

"Shit…" Cid didn't even care that he's said the word as he stared in shock before looking up at Vincent's frantic eyes. "We need to get her to the hospital. Or call an ambulance!" Vincent swallowed nodding and checked his phone. The reception here was bad. He couldn't dial out. Cid said the same thing as he stood there.

"It…It's not far from here," Vincent said holding her close. "I'll take her there. Just take the boys back to the house and let my mom know. I'll give a call once I get there."

"Christ, Vincent. Are you sure you can do that?"

"I don't have much choice!" He yelled out not meaning too but feeling like he had to do something. "Just…please, Cid…" He handed over his keys to the house before he was running moving as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't wait or stop when Cid called after him, running like his life depended on it. No, it wasn't his life. His sister…if he didn't hurry, would she die? What was wrong with her? A fever? She was burning up!

It took him close to ten minutes to make it to the hospital, the girl held close in his arms as he headed for the emergency room. He stopped there, swallowing quickly at the woman staring at him from behind the counter.

"I need help," Vincent said swallowing. His mouth felt dry, his body sweating from running so far to get here. "Please, you have to check my sister. She's-"

"Do you have insurance?"

"What?" Vincent blinked. "No, I don't but I need-"

"Without insurance, you'll have to pay upfront before we can see the patient."

"You don't understand, she's-" A quick glance from the woman and two security guards came to his sides grabbing his arms and shoulders and pulling him back.

"Listen!" Vincent yelled out struggling as he pulled away from the hands struggling to get to the counter. "My sister's sick! You can't just…you have to do something!"

"What is all the commotion out here?" Vincent froze up hearing another voice and looked seeing an older man stepping out from the back. Somehow he seemed familiar, not so much from his receding black hair and glasses, but the way he held himself.

"Sir, this man here doesn't have any insurance. I told him he'll need to pay upfront but he refuses to listen."

"I don't have that kind of money," Vincent said staring down at his sister's face. "We're poor. We don't have insurance and barely any money to speak off. But if you don't help, my sister will…" He frowned tightening his grip on the girl before bowing his head quickly. "I'm willing to do anything to save her. I'll find some way to pay it all back. Just please…help her."

"What's your name?"

"…Vincent." Frowning, Vincent looked up at the older man. "Vincent Valentine."

"Vincent…" He wasn't sure why the smirk on the man's face was enough to make him back away slightly. The man's dark eyes turned away from him as he turned his head calling out over his shoulder loudly. "Come take this girl and give her treatment!" Several people appeared from the back, one with a rolling bed. They took the girl from Vincent's limp arms laying here down and pushing her back through the emergency room doors. Vincent blinked and took a step forward to follow before the man's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Come with me. We have…things to discuss."

"But-"

"Don't worry. That girl's life is fine. This is the best hospital in all of Gaia. I should know. I own it." Vincent hesitated before he gave a nod to the man.

"Thank you for helping me," he said.

"Nonsense. Being that you're a friend of Sephiroth's, there's no way I could say no."

Vincent blinked. "Sephiroth? You know Sephiroth?"

"Of course I do," the man said grinning. "He's my son."

"Your…son?"

"You're in the Jenova hospital, owned by Dr. Hojo. That's who I am." Hojo turned walking back into the emergency room hallway expecting Vincent to follow him as he kept talking, his hands behind his back. "Normally I wouldn't allow a person to come here if they didn't have the money to pay for the service." He stopped in front of a door, resting his hand on it before he looked over at Vincent. "But since you seem to be of…interest to Sephiroth, I made this exception." Pushing the door open, he went into the room leaving Vincent frowning at his back before he followed him in. It sounded annoying in his ears, to ignore the pleading of a person in need of help just because they didn't have the money. Was this really how the world worked? Or was it just the way this Dr. Hojo guy did things?

"However, this exception doesn't mean that you won't be held liable for the patient's health bill." He went around the desk in the small office pulling papers out from the filing cabinet beside him before he started writing on them. He was quiet while he worked, his hands moving a mile a minute on the papers as the scratch of the pen across the papers reached his ears. While he wrote, Vincent found his eyes moving around the room taking it all in. Plagues lined the walls with various awards on them. Doctor of the Year. Top Researcher. Best Hospital. There were no family photos, nothing that screamed that he was Sephiroth's father or that he even had a wife. He must be the type to keep work and home separate.

"Sign here." Vincent looked down finding the doctor's constantly angry looking eyes glaring up at him. A finger tapped against the papers and Vincent slid his red eyes down to where the finger was pointing to the signature block, a pen resting over it. Frowning, he read over the paperwork quickly. It was saying he was responsible for the patient's expense and medical bills that incurred. He might have signed it without fail if not for the part that said he'd pay by any means necessary.

There was another page underneath it that mentioned the house they were thinking about renting out. And he hadn't even made the choice to rent it yet! Had Sephiroth told his father he'd agree to this?

"I'm not signing these."

"That's fine," Hojo said smirking up at him. "Then perhaps you don't mind taking your sick little sister out of my hospital with her infections."

"…." That wasn't an option. There wasn't another hospital for miles around. This was the only one in their location.

"We might be taking care of her for the moment, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need treatment still until her condition is fully cured. Medicines and shots do cost money after all."

"Fine." Vincent sighed as he reached down grabbing the pen and sighing both of the forms before tossing the pages at Hojo. Wasn't this a form of blackmail? One had nothing to do with the other. "If we're done here, I'd like to see my sister now."

"Not quite yet," Hojo said not even fazed by the papers flying in his face. He leaned forward resting his elbows on the desk as he stared up at Vincent. "You're in college for culinary work, correct?" Vincent frowned nodding his head slowly. "Then once you get out of college, you'll be required to work at one of my restaurants to repay off your debt to me." Vincent opened his mouth to complain but Hojo cut him off. "I'm ruthless but I am a fair man. You'll still be paid for your services, but a part of your paycheck will still go towards the bills you owe me, understood?"

Vincent's frown deepened as he gave another slow nod.

"Good." Hojo stood up from the desk. "That's all I have to say on the matter of repaying me for the medical portion. However…" Hojo moved walking from around the desk towards the door as he opened it. "When it comes to the house, you'll have to talk to Sephiroth about his agreements."

He stopped as he was following Hojo out the door. "What?"

"I'll let him know that you have agreed to the deal."

"Wait a minute!" Vincent reached out grabbing Hojo's arm quickly. "I never agreed to that! He had no part of this signing!"

"But you agreed when you signed those papers stating by any means necessary." Hojo stopped in the hallway and turned smirking at him as he snatched his arm away. "Or should I tear them up right now and leave your sister to her fate?"

"…No…" Vincent frowned staring down at the ground. "No, I'll do it."

"Good…" Hojo turned walking off down the hallway. "Then if we're done here…you'll find your sister in room 112. Medication can be picked up at the pharmacy when you give them your name. Also someone should bring her here for her next checkup in a week."

"Yes…thank you." What else could he say? There were a lot of things on his mind of what he wanted to really let out. But he couldn't say those things, not while his sister was like this. All he could really do was take it and let fate determine what happened to him. He only hoped that whatever Sephiroth agreed to wasn't something outrageous.

TBC…

Yeah I think things are starting to get a little juicy now. XD


	13. Chapter 13

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: Sorry for the delay. ^^ I've been out of town for a week. Hope you enjoy. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 12

"Cid…"

"Vincent! Is everything ok! How's Amy!"

"She's fine," Vincent said into the phone staring down at the little girl on the hospital bed. "She's sleeping right now." She didn't look uncomfortable. He'd originally thought she was just having a fever but it turned out to be something a little more complicated. "The doctor's diagnosed her with Pneumonia. They said they're going to give her another shot and make sure her vitals are good before she can come home, hopefully by tomorrow. But she has to come back every day for a week to take the shots."

"God Vin…"

"I got her here just in time," he said reaching down and grabbing hold of one of the little hands. "Cid…she could have died I…I really don't know what I would have done if that happened." He didn't want anything to happen to his family. And yet he felt helpless to protect them. What if Hojo hadn't been here to waive the payment? Or what if he hadn't come to visit his family this week? Would she have died?

"Vin, we're on our way there now. I should see you in about five minutes, ok?"

"Ok…." When asked, Vincent gave the room number he was in then hung up leaning his head back against the wall behind him as he sat in the chair by the bed. He was still holding the hand even though he wasn't looking at it, his eyes staring at the floor. Even if he didn't trust Hojo or Sephiroth, he'd have made the deal many times over if it meant keeping his family alive. They didn't get the usual annual checkup like most children and barely got the required shots to go to school.

School…he had at least another week before classes would start up again. He was only a freshman. His path was long before him, his goal feeling like it was out of his reach. He felt like he was being chained down, yanked back from reaching his end result. Should he drop out of school and try to find a job that would support his family? No, that wasn't optional, not with the agreement Hojo made for him to pay him back. He needed to graduate before he'd be employed by one of Hojo's restaurants. At the same time he'd be getting paid a portion of the money for himself and a portion to be given to Hojo for the hospital expenses. But like his son, Vincent didn't trust Hojo as far as he could throw him.

The knock on the door let him know the others arrived as the door opened and he saw his mother come in. He vaguely saw Cid's shadow by the door, curious as to why he hadn't come in before assuming he was just giving him and his family privacy. He gave his mother a soft smile before turning his eyes to the sleeping girl. "She's ok for now. They gave me a list of prescriptions to give her and orders to come back the rest of the week to get her one day shot. It looks like the meds might make her a little drowsy."

His mother looked thankful, unshed tears in her eyes as she rushed over and stared down at her little girl. She reached down holding the hand Vincent wasn't already holding before she looked over at him smiling softly. "Go get some rest," she said. "You look like you need to sleep."

"I doubt I can," Vincent said frowning as he stood up, reaching out to brush Amy's hair back from her face. "Where are the twins?"

"Mrs. Bay is keeping an eye on them for me for the night."

"I'll pick them up on the way back then."

"It's fine," she said shaking her head. "She said she'd watch them for the night. Her son seemed happy for the unexpected sleepover. Besides," and her eyes flickered over to Cid who hadn't come into the room yet as he stood by the door watching. "You two probably need to talk." To talk?

Vincent stood up from the chair looking down at Amy before he leaned down giving her a soft kiss on her sleeping forehead. But at the back of his mind he kept running the words around in his head. What did they need to talk about?

"We'll walk back. Let me know if there's any change." Meaning if things somehow got bad, he wanted to know, because he'd be rushing back like a bat out of a cave.

"I'll let you know if anything happens," she said smiling as she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Good night little Vinnie."

"Night mom." He tried not to blush at the little nickname as he turned around heading for the door. Cid saw him coming and stepped aside to wait on him. He seemed to be glancing around in agitation like he was ready to get out of there. Vincent didn't blame him though. He wasn't all that fond of hospitals either. They didn't say anything as they left walking down the hall and out the front door heading on the path towards home. He did take notice of Cid relaxing though, the further away they got from the building.

Whatever it was they were supposed to talk about didn't seem to be happening at that moment. He frowned staring at the ground before he looked up and reached out grabbing Cid's arm to stop him. The startled look on Cid's face as well as the look of confusion let him know just how unfocused Cid was. Did something else happen? He'd unconsciously slipped a cig between his lips that glowed slightly in the night sky when Cid sucked in the sweet nicotine. The sky blue eyes were staring at him now and he almost lost his need to speak.

"You ok?" Vincent said eyeing him carefully. "Mom said we needed to talk."

"Meh," Cid shrugged shoving his hands into his pockets, the nervous twitch of fingers not missed by Vincent's red eyes. "Nothing. Just realizing how nosy your mom is." His lips turned up into a smirk as he stared at Vincent. "She's been hounding me on if I've banged you yet. Then when I said no, she wanted to know what was taking me so long." Vincent blushed hearing the words. He wouldn't say it was a lie. His mom was pretty noisy about those kinds of things. But that wasn't what was bothering Cid, not when he let his eyes travel away with a lost expression.

He'd wait though. He'd wait until they got back to confront Cid about it. Besides, he was wondering if he should mention the deal he'd made with Hojo about the medical bill. There had been words in fine print saying that he'd be penalized if he mentioned the agreement. But Cid had to be wondering how he managed to pull off getting his sister in with the little amount of cash he had. There was a way around it though. It wouldn't necessarily be a lie if he said it right.

The house was dark when they got back. They paused to split up closing up windows and cutting on lights to the empty house before Vincent met with him again in the living room. He tried not to let the thought of being alone in the house with Cid get to him even though his heart was thumping loudly in his ear. Cid didn't seem to notice it, his eyes staring blankly ahead of him towards the empty wall. Vincent frowned at the look, feeling his heart settling in his chest before he moved and sat down next to Cid on the couch, resting a hand on his knee.

"What's wrong?"

"Hm?" Cid blinked looking over at him. "What? Nothing's wrong. What makes you think something's fucking, wrong?" He frowned staring back at Vincent like he was the one with the problem.

"You've been staring off into space for a while now. It has to be more than my mom talking to you to make you like that."

"…Sorry," Cid said sighing before he turned to face him. "I'm just not fond of hospitals. That's all."

"…Why not?"

Cid shrugged his shoulders at the question. "Family issues." He leaned back slightly. "Just a lot of family issues." With that he smiled looking at Vincent before that smile turned into something more devious. "So…we're alone right now…."

Vincent tensed up slightly seeing how Cid was looking at him and blushed as he slid down the couch away from him. "Yeah, and?"

"And since it's getting kind of late, we should take a fucking shower together." Cid pinned him down on the other end of the couch leaning down as he brushed his tongue against Vincent's neck. "Maybe take care of some other things as well."

"C-Cid…" He shifted feeling the hands creeping over his covered body sure his face was as red as a tomato as hands started to work at the zipper of his pants. "C-Cid we can't! N-Not here!"

"In your bed then?" The way Cid's tongue was brushing up his neck while hands worked their way under his shirt was driving him crazy as he squirmed on the couch not necessarily trying to get away from the sensation Cid's rough, calloused fingers were giving him.

"Nnngh not...ha…ah…." The phone went off making him respond automatically as he pushed Cid off of him making his escape to capture the phone. He didn't miss the "fuck" Cid let out or the way he was frowning from the couch and watching after him. But he was sure the eyes went down to his butt as he walked making him want to reach back and block the view with one hand while the other one grabbed the phone answering it.

"H-Hello?" He probably sounded flustered, his cheeks feeling like they were permanently hot irons, especially when he saw Cid get up from the couch starting his way.

"Vincent. It's good to hear your voice." The sound of the voice on the phone made him feel like the carpet had been pulled from under him. "My father told me about what happened. Is your sister alright?"

"…She's fine," Vincent said glancing away from the confused expression on Cid's face. He forgot they'd all exchanged numbers. "She should be able to come home tomorrow."

"That's good to hear," Sephiroth said sounding like he was smirking on the other side of the phone. "Are you alone right now?"

"No," Vincent said narrowing his eyes slightly. "I'm at home with my boyfriend." Silence filled the other end of the line for a moment before Sephiroth finally spoke again.

"I see…" Maybe Vincent was imagining it but Sephiroth actually sounded disappointed about that. "Then I look forward to our future meeting. Make sure you don't let Cid know about your…deal. My father has a habit of going overboard when things don't go his way."

Was it a threat? A warning? He couldn't really figure out where this was going. It bothered him. "Right. Thanks." He hung up not waiting for a response and turned to find Cid standing right in front of him with a suspicious look on his face.

"What was that fucking about?"

Vincent hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "Sephiroth. His…the hospital we just went to belongs to his family. He just wanted to make sure everything was ok. They're the reason I was able to get Amy admitted."

"Guess he found out quick." Arms wrapped around him from behind pulling him closer as Cid rested his chin on his shoulder. "I heard Sephiroth's dad is kind of an asshole. He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Vincent tensed slightly before he forced his body to relax. Do anything? Not physically…but mentally yeah. He was in an agreement to repay him by any means necessary. He wasn't completely sure what all Hojo had in mind for him. Or why he felt uncomfortable when he thought about the man and his son. For all he knew, Hojo could change plans on him. He reached down resting his hands over Cid's just enjoying the closeness the two of them had.

What if Sephiroth told him he couldn't see Cid anymore as part of his deal? He doubted he could really go through with something like that, especially after how long it took him just to have Cid for himself. But it felt weird, the fact that he barely knew anything about Cid. Like Shera. He never knew Cid even dated a girl named Shera. Even Sephiroth had known about that. Or about Cid's family…his life. Why was flying his life dream? Why was the jacket so important to him? Why did Cid even like him?

He didn't realize he'd tensed up, that he'd started to dig his nails into Cid's hands until the other whispered into his ear, lips brushing against the outer shell of the lobe softly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…." No that was a lie. It was something alright. He wanted to know more about his boyfriend. What did Shera do to Cid? Did somewhere deep down in his heart, Cid still have feelings for her? "Actually…" He turned around slowly in the arms, staring down into the calm blue eyes staring back at him. "I want to know more about you."

Cid blinked in confusion. "Hm? What do ya mean, Vin?"

"Like…like your life. Your family. The things you like. The things you hate. Your favorite foods and your most unfavorite ones. And just…you. I just want to know about you." He was probably pouting though he didn't want to admit to that. Maybe even whining a bit. It shouldn't have been so important but he felt like it was. Cid was learning more about him, about his family and his life and what he wanted to do. And yet he knew nothing about Cid.

"…Well…I don't really have a favorite food," Cid said rubbing behind his head as he stared at him. "Hell, everything you make is delicious. But I don't fucking know what it is you would want to know about me. I'm a pretty damn boring guy who plays with tools. I mean, what, do you want to know my favorite color or something?" He wasn't trying to be rude by it with the way he was looking at Vincent, just simply stating facts.

"Just…." What was he going to ask him? Maybe about Shera? How he dated the girl then broke up? What happened to make them split up? Why was he thinking about that girl so much lately? Did Cid and Shera ever do it? Did they have sex? Was she his first? Vincent frowned a little letting the thoughts sink in, starting to pull back slightly. What if Cid really did like her still? What if he was just a convenient replacement for some girl? How did Sephiroth even know about Shera? How long ago had it been before the two had broken up? How long did they date? Could the same thing happen to them?

Vincent blinked feeling the lips on his as Cid kissed him. He could feel the other's hands traveling over his shirt touching him, turning his body to goo making him just want to melt. But it wasn't right. Cid was trying to avoid his questions, to avoid the situation. He knew he could easily lose himself to this, to the feeling of the lips on his as he found his mouth responding in kind to them. But he needed will power. He couldn't give in to Cid's demands…not yet.

"Cid." He said the name after he rested his hands on Cid's shoulders pushing him back to break the kiss. The other looked up at him for a moment before leaning in starting to kiss along his neck making a shiver go down his spine. "Wait…." He pushed him back again. "Cid, listen I-"

"I don't give a fuck about the past," Cid said frustration in his voice as he glared up at Vincent. "Fuck, the last thing I want is to think about my fucking past. But you keep fucking bringing it up."

"Cid, I just want to-"

"Whatever," Cid said pulling out of his reach and looking away. "I'm going to take a fucking smoke." He didn't wait to listen to Vincent, ignoring the sputters from his lover's lips to wait as he went out the front door closing it behind him. Vincent wasn't really sure what just happen in that moment, just that he felt like he was in a daze, like his heart was permanently stuck in the pit of his throat trying to escape.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Cid stayed outside a long time. Vincent knew because he spent all that time sitting on the bed of his room and staring out the window at the male standing outside solo. He didn't want to bother him, not when he wasn't sure where things stood. Cid smoked. He smoked a lot. He'd literally gone through a pack of cigarettes within an hour.

Vincent didn't venture from the bed, didn't even change positions as he kept staring. He didn't know what to feel right now, happy that Cid hadn't left but frustrated at the situation. He'd made Cid angry with him. That hadn't been his intentions at all. He just wanted to know more about Cid. Was he being selfish? It didn't sound like it was just a problem of Shera. Problems at home maybe?

His legs felt numb beneath him, his eyes empty of the emotions he really felt. He rested his head on his arms, keeping his eyes on the single figure in front of him until he saw the figure head inside. Five minutes passed…ten more. Cid didn't come upstairs. Vincent turned resting his head against the pillow staring towards the door just hoping the other would come up to see him, to tell him he wasn't angry with him. Instead, he just laid there staring at the door with half closed eyes.

His body jerked as he woke himself up glancing around with wide eyes. When had he fallen asleep? It was dark in his room meaning that someone had cut the light off for him. His mother? No, she was probably still at the hospital with Amy. He glanced down at the side of the bed seeing the large bundled lump lying on the mat on the floor. Cid then…. They were alone tonight…why was he sleeping down there away from him?

Vincent shivered slightly sitting up and wrapping his arms around himself before pulling the blanket around him. Was Cid still angry? Still didn't want to be bothered with him? He must have waited until he was sure Vincent was sleep before he snug in. The lump shifted slightly making Vincent freeze up as it groaned and sat up, the assumed groggy eyes hard to see in the darkness. Vincent froze up doing his best to stay still in the darkness. It was too late to fake sleep.

"Vin?" Vincent didn't say anything, instead looking towards the door thinking and praying there'd be an escape from this. What if Cid decided he didn't want to be with him? That it was too much hassle? That they needed to break up? Vincent couldn't stay here if that happened. Everything he worked for, how perfect everything had been. Why was this happening now?

His throat burned just thinking about it, his eyes feeling like needles were pricking them. He closed his eyes to fight the feeling, to not see the silhouette of the person most important to him in front of him. Were his emotions getting the better of him? He'd never had that problem before. He should be able to handle something like this. He'd dealt with his father walking out of his life. So surely, something like the man he loved leaving him wouldn't seem that hard right?

"Come on. Don't give me the silent treatment now." It sounded like he was pleading with him. Maybe he was. But Vincent's ears couldn't really tell at the time as he laid back down pulling the blanket up over his head. A dream…maybe it was all a dream. His sister getting sick…Hojo…the deal…Cid's outburst. He felt the blanket pulled from over him but he refused to open his eyes pretending to sleep even though he knew it was too late to act it out.

Something soft brushed against his lips. It was quick but it did make him open his eyes to see the shadow in front of him lean back slightly. "I'm sorry." It was said softly but it made him stare harder into the darkness trying to see Cid's expression. "Sorry I…well…I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"…Cid…" His voice croaked. He didn't know why it did that, blaming it on the fact that he hadn't used it since…well whenever they last spoke.

"Sorry. Just…my past kind of hits me hard when I think about it." He sighed and turned around resting his back against the bed as he tilted his head back against the mattress staring up at the ceiling. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you. It's just…I've been kind of stressed since getting here. Seeing your family and seeing how happy everyone is here…shit, it makes me a fucking little envious." Envious? Vincent blinked staring at the back of Cid's head. Cid didn't continue right away, but Vincent didn't try to rush it as he laid there in the silence letting Cid take his time.

"…My parents divorced when I was like five. Since my mom didn't want anything to fucking do with me, I stayed with my dad. He's the one that got me into flying and my dream of being up in the air. See…he used to be a pilot, back with the 19th Air Brigade or something. He always told me stories about battles he'd flown and some of the wilder shit like bomber planes and tricks in the sky. Inspired me to want to fly planes, that's what he did."

Vincent laid there, listening and literally hearing the smile in Cid's voice. He could hear how proud he was of his dad. But the conversation stopped right there as Cid just sat there. Worriedly, Vincent reached his hand out touching Cid's hair gently petting the soft puffiness. He noticed that Cid seemed to lean into the touch putting a smile on Vincent's face.

"Sorry…I kinda get into that nostalgia stage when I start thinking it." He cleared his throat of the drained sound that somehow seemed to hold more feeling than he'd initially intended. "So…yeah. He died when I turned ten. This stuff I wear, the jacket and the goggles. They all belonged to him. That's why they're kinda important to me." Vincent didn't feel the goggles on his head and assumed he'd taken them off and put them somewhere safe so they wouldn't break.

"Anyway, since that little episode I ended up stuck living with my tyrant mom. Aside from giving me clothes and food to appease the social service people and to keep getting security money, she didn't have anything to do with me. If she had a guy over, I was told I fuckin had to hide under the bed or in the closet. And let me tell you, hearing your fucking mom fucking banging different guys while in the same room is murder on your fucking brain."

"Cid-"

"The guys that did find out I was there didn't mind fucking beating me around a bit. When my mom found out how much fun they had kicking the shit out of me, she started charging them for it. A bit of money for beer and cigarettes and they could do whatever the fuck they wanted to me. Dished out everything they could while the bitch just sat to the side and watched. Then they'd have sex while I laid there bleeding to death from being beaten with whatever fucking thing they had handy at the time. Threatened to kill me if I told anybody." It explained the few times Vincent used to see Cid limping around in school. Yet even then Cid still managed to keep on smiling. How could he? Vincent would have broken a long time ago. Sliding off the bed, he sat down beside Cid curling up as he leaned against him giving his support without really having to say anything. He missed the glance in the dark or the way Cid seemed to give a little smile.

"Anyway, once I got to college I swore I wouldn't be going back there. I was going to follow in my dad's footsteps. He told me about a dream he had once where he'd be the first person to ever make it to outer space. I mean can you believe with all the technology we have, no one's ever bothered to try to explore the fucking world beyond Gaia?"

Vincent blinked slightly. "Thought you wanted to be a pilot?"

"Well I do," Cid said reaching down and grabbing Vincent's hand holding it. "Hell, I coulda went straight to flight school. But instead I wanted to learn to build my own damn planes. What good is it to fly something if I end up stranded somewhere and can't fix it?"

Well…that was a good point. Last thing he wanted was Cid getting stuck on some island somewhere with no way to get home. At least the knowledge would give him some kind of hope. "I'll be able to go with you right?"

"Hm?"

"…When you go into outer space." He didn't get an answer. Instead he felt his body being pushed down onto the mattress. Vincent blinked feeling the other lay on top of him before he felt the lips pressed to his. He held onto Cid's shirt, tensing slightly feeling the other's weight on top of him as he made a sound of shock from the sudden kiss. But he relaxed just as quickly, his hand tugging on Cid pulling him closer as he closed his eyes deepening the kiss, his lips opening by reflex to let Cid's tongue inside.

He could feel the other grinding against him, exciting him as he pushed his hips up off the mattress savoring what touches he could get. He forced Cid to swallow the moan escaping his lips as he felt a hand reach down cupping his crotch and rubbing it sending his body into fiery throws of ecstasy. The touches were addicting, crave worthy. He wanted more, didn't care anymore that they were in his house, in his room doing this. He wanted Cid. He wanted him bad. Screw waiting on the house, he really needed this. The opportunity was just too perfect for him to pass up.

Cid sat up giving Vincent a sensual chuckle as he seemed to pin him down by his hands to the mattress, staring at him through the darkness. It helped that the moonlight was coming through the window casting a glow on Cid and giving Vincent a perfect sight of the mischievous blue eyes staring down at him. Cid had managed to straddle himself down on Vincent's hips; his ass nestled right over Vincent's crotch as he grin showing off strong, muscled arms that lead down to where they were holding Vincent's hands in place. He looked like a complete work of art being haloed by the outside light.

"Cid…" He couldn't help the needful sound to his voice, his body squirming as he pushed his hips up again trying to grind against Cid's butt needing the friction. "Please I can't…"

"You look really hot like this," Cid said in response, the husky sound in his voice not going unmissed by Vincent's reddening ears. "But since you made the rule that we can't fucking do anything; we'll just have to wait until we get our place, right?"

"Nnngh…."Vincent shivered relaxing back against the bed breathing hard as he tried to move his hands again to reach out and touch Cid…to do something besides stay trapped there. "That…that was because…with everyone here…but we're alone now, we can-"

"Nope, not gonna do it." He swore he could see all of Cid's teeth in the darkness from how hard he was smiling. He was enjoying this! Torturing Vincent like this knowing how much he craved his touches. Vincent let his body sink back on the mattress, especially when Cid moved up to straddle his stomach now leaving him with nothing against his tortured crotch. Vincent moaned out giving a whine as he felt Cid's lips on his neck again teasing him and torturing him with those light touches. "Not gonna touch it."

"Cid…nngh…" Cid used one hand to hold both of Vincent's wrists down on the mattress, his now free hand sliding underneath his shirt touching warm fingers against his chilled skin. "Cid please…" He was panting. He was begging. He didn't even care anymore, not after the feel of fire from those rough fingertips. "Cid…"

"Fuck…." Cid was looking down at him, watching his reactions and giving reactions of his own as he shifted a bit against Vincent's stomach. "I'm probably not going to be able to hold out any longer." The husk was in his voice again as he spoke with a richness Vincent wouldn't mind tasting. "Are you sure? You don't mind not having our first at our new place?"

Honestly he didn't know what he wanted. Though a part of him did think that doing it in their own home would be something special. But it wasn't like they could just bypass every quiet opportunity they got. Hell, if they had roommates they'd never get to go at it with abandon. Sure, his family did live in a duplex, but at the moment their family was the only one in the whole duplex. He was completely alone with Cid. No neighbors, no roommates, no siblings, or Sephiroth. Just Cid.

"Please…Cid…do…do whatever it is you do to make me feel good!"

TBC….  
Just a warning that the next chapter is just smut. But you won't miss anything by skipping past it if you don't want to read it.


	14. Chapter 14

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: The special for Chapter 12. Literally just smut.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 12.5

"Please…Cid…do…do whatever it is you do to make me feel good!" He felt the fingers freeze up on him. He wondered if maybe he'd said the wrong thing from how still Cid got, until he felt the hands slide up higher pinching his nipples as he arched off the mattress moaning loudly. Cid reached back behind him resting his hand over his crotch rubbing him through the pants he wore as he stared down at him, his tongue coming out to lick his lips like he was staring down at a majestic feast.

He leaned down brushing that wet tongue against Vincent's lips until he gained permission to enter his hot mouth. Vincent moaned out again pushing his tongue against Cid's experimentally, his fingers opening then clenching shut. At least this way, in the darkness, he didn't have the fear of being embarrassed. Though by now Cid had seen enough of him that he shouldn't be. But something about doing it this way, in the dark…turned him on more. Maybe because he didn't know what to expect? He wasn't sure of the main reason, just that it felt good.

"Mmm!" He curled his toes into the sheets feeling his hips jerk up when Cid gripped him tighter. He turned his head breaking the kiss as he moaned out, closing his eyes tight. Cid didn't let him get away, kissing his neck and sliding his tongue along the skin before he started to travel down his body.

"You have way too many fucking clothes in the way, Vin," he said relenting as he let Vincent go and slid the shirt off of him leaving the cold air in the room to hit against his skin. "I'm gonna remove every last fucking piece of them." The roughness in his voice when he said it, especially while sliding down and unbuttoning Vincent's pants went straight to the ebony haired man's groin. He pushed himself up on his elbows looking down watching how quickly Cid seemed to move his hands to unzip the pants before Cid gripped the sides of Vincent's tight jeans tugging. "Lift that sexy ass for me."

Biting his lips, Vincent lifted his ass up off the bed feeling the jeans being slid down along with the pair of gray boxers he had on underneath. His hips lowered back to the bed letting Cid take care of removing them from his legs as he stared up at him, his cock twitching with the added hardness, not seeming to be fazed by the cool air. "C-Cid…."

"Fuck…so hot..." Cid was staring right at him as he said it, Vincent able to see his head tilt down showing that he was really checking Vincent out. "Turn over for me." Blinking with confusion, Vincent did what he said turning over to lay on his stomach before looking back at Cid for approval. "Good, just like that," Cid said, tongue working at his lower lip the more he stared. "I didn't realize how sexy your butt was, Vin." Hardened hands reached out cupping a globe each as they squeezed them, Vincent's whole world spinning from the feeling of the loved hands on him.

"C…Cid!" Cid hadn't even done anything to him besides barely touching him. But he was more than ready for this. He wanted this, to feel every part of Cid for himself. "More…please Cid..." He wasn't beyond begging for what he wanted. Granted he didn't really know what it was he wanted.

"Get on your knees." Vincent nodded pushing himself up to his knees before spreading his legs slightly and pushing his ass up into the air more hearing the groan of Cid behind him. "Fuck…Vin…fuck this is hot."

Vincent wanted to ask what he was talking about, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a gasp and a moan as he felt something hot and wet rubbing down the crack of his ass. "C-Cid…Cid, w-what-" He glanced over his shoulder blushing red in surprise seeing how close Cid's face was to his butt knowing that what he felt was his tongue. "C-Cid don't lick…ah…d-don't it's…." He couldn't concentrate, especially when the tongue moved over his twitching hole. Why did this feel so good?

"Mmm." Cid took his tongue rubbing around the ring of tightness before he leaned in pushing it inside and wiggling it around, his grip on Vincent's hips holding on tighter.

"Ahhh!" Vincent groaned out biting his lips to try and muffle the sound, his breath coming out in hot pants as he gripped the sheets on the mattress tighter. "Cid! Ah! Don't! T-That's my…ah!" Despite his words, he kept pushing his butt back more on the tongue, feeling it traveling deeper and hitting places he didn't even know existed making his whole body writhe.

"Mmm you really seem to be enjoying this," Cid said, fingers brushing against his hole. He leaned over Vincent, pressing his body against him as his fingers started to push inside, his teeth grinding lightly on Vincent's ear. "I want to fuck this, Vin." He said it while pushing the finger in deeper letting another join inside as he teased the hell out of Vincent's moist hole. "I want to put my fucking cock deep inside of this."

Vincent wasn't sure what turned him on the most. The feeling of Cid's fingers up his ass, the feeling of that heavy body on top of him…or the sound of Cid's voice while he said such naughty things to him. So it wasn't hard for him to say he wanted this too. He wanted Cid to fuck him, right here in his room, the very room he spent many nights fantasizing about the very male on top of him. However, there was still one problem he was having right now.

"T-These…" Vincent said reaching back managing to grab the side of Cid's baggy pants. "Take these off…please…all of these…" Cid chuckled in his ears making Vincent groan out between open, wet lips. He rarely ever got to touch Cid in this way. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed all of it. All night if he had to.

Cid removed the fingers leaving Vincent with the feeling of emptiness. But he didn't complain, especially when he heard Cid shuffling around behind him. A shirt was tossed to the side landing beside Vincent's head making him blush when he really thought about what it was they were really getting ready to do. He felt anxious and yet he wanted to do this. He wanted to give himself to Cid.

The sound of a belt buckle being undone made Vincent glance behind him, his eyes following the fingers as they worked on the button unhooking them then reaching down to the zipper to slide it down. He could literally see Cid bulging through the pants, the boxers looking like they were just waiting for that moment to escape. It helped that the moonlight shifted through window highlighting the two of them in a perfect yellow light.

Cid must have noticed him staring because he took his time with tugging his pants down until the cock was able to pop free somehow looking larger than Vincent remembered it. He bit his lips, staring at it, watching how it twitched and moved with every motion Cid made. He didn't completely take the pants off, just pushed it down to his knees before his hands were on Vincent's ass again touching and massaging it making Vincent moan out again and wiggle his hips.

"Do you got some baby oil around this place or something?" Baby oil? Vincent blinked before he gave a slight nod. They had some they used on Amy after a bath. But what would Cid need with baby oil?

"In the bathroom. I'll go get it." He stood up; glancing back seeing the way Cid stared at him, the light from the moon catching the glow of his blue eyes that seemed to be feasting on him in hunger. Vincent swallowed and moved quickly; heading to the bathroom and holding his cock so he didn't have to feel it bouncing around and making him want to come harder. It was weird to hear the silence of the rest of the house. But he didn't think on it long, moving quickly so he could return to Cid.

When he got back, he found Cid sitting against the bed staring towards the door, his hand slowly moving over his cock keeping it erect like it needed the help. Vincent stared at the sight slowly walking into the room and noticing how Cid's hand seemed to move faster the closer he got. He started to stroke himself as well, kneeling in front of Cid before he leaned in kissing his lips hard and moaning into his mouth. He let his own cock go to reach down and grab Cid's wanting to touch it, to feel how hard it throbbed able to imagine just how powerful it would feel inside of him.

Cid moaned into his mouth at his touch, his hands sliding down and grabbing Vincent's ass again before he pulled him closer squeezing the jiggly butt. The blond leaned his head back breaking the kiss as he panted staring up at Vincent. "Rub the baby oil on my cock."

It sounded weird to him, but he really didn't complain as he did just what Cid said reaching down and massaging the oil into his cock, loving how smoothly his own hands moved around the thick mass in his grip. It made a lot of noise when he rubbed it, the slick, slippery sound mixing with the stickiness of the pre gathering on Cid's tip. Oh god how he wanted this.

"Bend over again," Cid said before giving him a quick kiss. "Bend over and let me fuck this ass." He squeezed Vincent's butt when he said it getting a moan in return. Vincent turned over quickly, straddling his legs over Cid's crotch, letting their cocks brush up against each other before he bent over unintentionally pushing his butt almost into Cid's face. Cid groaned out, his fingers slick with oil as he pushed them deep into Vincent's opening moving them quickly.

"Ah!" Vincent couldn't stop the moan from coming, his anal hole tightening around the fingers at the squishy sound they made sliding inside of him. "Cid!"

"Fuck Vin…fuck…" The fingers pulled out of him giving him some time to gather his thoughts before his whole body froze up again feeling the head of Cid's cock pressing up against his opening. He groaned out gripping both of Vincent's hips firmly as he started to push his hips forward. Vincent swore he forgot to breathe again, his eyes clenching shut as he clenched up more against the sharp pain of something big entering him. His hands curled up in the blankets holding them tightly as a soft whimper escaped his lips from the burn of his anus. The fingers hadn't felt this painful. But then again the fingers were nowhere near as big as Cid was.

"Relax," Cid said stopping. He didn't pull out though, his hands moving to slowly rub circles over Vincent's ass. "The more you tighten up, the more it'll hurt."

"I…I'll try," Vincent said swallowing around the pain feeling it going away before he started to relax. The more he relaxed himself, the more Cid was able to push inside of him until finally Cid was buried all the way in. Cid froze though, not moving feeling Vincent's body trembling beneath his fingers. Vincent was panting hard, trying to catch his breath. His hole ached, twitching around the large dick inside of him. But he wouldn't change it. He wanted Cid inside of him. He reddened at the fact that Cid really was inside of him right now.

It wasn't until Vincent relaxed as much as he could that Cid started moving again, pulling his hips back then thrusting it forward hard to smack himself back inside of Vincent's body. It forced a moan out of Vincent's mouth, his body trembling at the power of Cid's body pushing him forward. He held onto the sheets tighter, the prospect that Cid was fucking him driving him wild with the kinkiness. He started pushing his hips back, taking that fat cock deeper and feeling it slide past all the walls inside of him.

It didn't help that he could hear the sound of Cid's pleasant groans behind him.

"Vin…fuck…fuck this feels awesome."

"C-Cid…."

"It's tight…" The hands holding his ass lifted up before smacking down against his butt making Vincent's eyes widen in surprised as he moaned out louder, his cock rising higher between his legs bouncing back against his stomach quicker from each thrust. "Fuck, it's fucking hot and tight!"

The suddenness of Cid pulling out of him almost made him curse out loud as he looked back frustrated, needy. That couldn't be all there was, right? They weren't finished, right? No way was that it!

He felt his body being rolled over until he was lying on his back staring up at the brilliant blues gazing down at him. He didn't think he could blush more than this and felt like his whole body was on fired. His body reacted on its own, arms wrapping around Cid's shoulders and pulling him down into a kiss that he hungrily fed to him. He wanted to feel more, to gain more from these pleasures Cid was giving him. Cid's tongue instantly invaded his mouth and he moaned out when he felt one of his legs being lifted up to rest on Cid's shoulder. The hard cock was placed at his opening again and he literally leaned back breaking the kiss as he moaned loudly, not caring who heard at the feeling of it entering inside of him again.

"Cid!" He wasn't sure of what sounds came out of him or of what all feelings his body felt as the cock plunged inside of him. Cid was sweating, the liquid glistening on his soaked body thanks to the moonlight letting Vincent see it all. He knew his own body was perspiring as well but there was nothing he could really do about it right then. "Cid it's…deep! It's really deep!" He couldn't keep his back from arching, the sound of Cid's cock thrusting inside of him and his balls spanking against his ass getting to him. He could feel Cid reaching deeper inside, could feel the burning in his stomach from the pleasure he was feeling. His cock was leaking, pre dripping out to almost look as if he'd come. Cid was leaned over him, literally invading his privacy and leaning in to leave little love marks on his neck.

Vincent knew he wasn't going to last long, not when he was doing something so intimate with the man of his dreams. He wrapped his arms around Cid, letting his fingers caress again the golden skin before a hit against his prostrate made him nearly lose his mind as his nails dug in scratching against Cid's back. He heard a hiss from Cid in his ear as he leaned over him but it didn't stop Cid from shoving even faster into the tightness.

When Cid hit into that spot again, Vincent saw only white behind his closed eyes before his cock pulsed erupting with its white cream onto his stomach. He didn't think anything could feel so good but it got even better when he felt Cid's come shooting inside of him filling him up with warm stickiness that had his eyes literally rolling. This man, the love of his life, was coming inside of him. It wasn't some girl named Shera or some random woman Vincent knew nothing about. No, it was actually Vincent Valentine that Cid was coming inside of him. That thought just drove him mad as he wrapped his arms around Cid tightly, panting hard and feeling Cid's hot breath against his neck.

"I…hah…love you…" He was out of breath. That whole ordeal had his panting like there was no tomorrow. His chest kept rising and falling, the dip in his stomach making some of the come pool down into his belly button. It was a lot sticker when it cooled but Vincent wasn't complaining. He did squirm though wondering about the funny feeling in his butt thanks to Cid's come.

"I love you too," Cid said nuzzling his nose against Vincent's neck before he sat up to stare down at him properly. "Seriously, there's no one I'd rather be with right now than you. So fucking perfect."

"Cid…" By the added weight against his body a Cid laid down again, he could tell that he was falling asleep. He didn't blame him since he felt tired too. Besides, it was like cuddling with a giant teddy bear. He still wanted to ask about Shera and what happened. But he'd wait to do it another time. He didn't want them to argue again if he could avoid it. For now, the two of them would just rest up and hopefully get everything cleaned up before his mom showed up with Amy in the tomorrow.

Still it didn't stop him from having the silliest grin on his face as he started to fall asleep thinking about the fact that this was his first time with Cid. Obviously it wouldn't be the last.

TBC….

And hoped you enjoyed this little segment. ^^


	15. Chapter 15

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: And back on track again. :D

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 13

"Vinnie, we're home!"

Vincent sat up…or at least that was his intentions anyway. Instead he was still plastered to the bed by the heavy weight of the body lying on top of him. He didn't really pick up on why the body was lying on him at first until he heard the soft snore in his ear and picked up on the sight of blond hair in front of his blurry eyes. The sight had him wide awake as he blushed red remembering the details of last night. They did it. They really did do it this time. He could still feel the evidence of stickiness along his thighs and stomach. They hadn't even bothered to clean up when they finished!

"Vinnie, are you awake?"

It was his mother's voice calling from downstairs. It sent him into a panic remembering the state they were in as he rolled Cid off of him despite the grumbling from the other man. He turned himself over before wincing at the pain in his lower back. Well Cid had been a bit rough for his first time, though it wasn't like he'd been telling him to back off. It took him a minute to push to his feet, using his shirt to wipe the mess clean off of him before stumbling over to the dresser and quickly pulling out a t-shirt and some sweats.

Cid rolled over grumbling and sat up not moving fast enough to catch the messy shirt tossed his way as it landed on top of his head.

"Clean up. I need to go see my mother." He didn't look at Cid when he said it, blushing still from embarrassment of what happened last night.

"What? No after sex snuggling?"

Vincent walked over to him, bending down carefully before he leaned in giving him a quick kiss. "Come down once you're dressed," Vincent said shivering when Cid leaned in kissing him more. It took so much effort to break the kiss, a soft sound escaping from his lips before he glanced away with a blush. It didn't stop him from licking his lips though and wishing for more. He didn't mind the idea of just staying there and snuggling with Cid all morning. But he had priorities to take care of, mainly not having his mom walk in on them naked. "I'll go check to see how everything went."

"Fine," Cid said sighing and watching him stand to walk away. "But I'll miss seeing that sexy ass of yours."

Vincent paused by the door glancing back at him lightly biting at his lips. "When we get our own place…you'll…be able to see it as much as you want." He didn't meet his eyes, looking away shyly as he slipped out of the room. He paused there in the hallway, resting his forehead against the door trying to will the burn of his face to go away. He wouldn't admit that his ass was still sore though he took it to be a normal occurrence. After all, what did he expect to happen when such a large thing was shoved inside?

A frown lifted to his lips when he thought back to the things Cid had told him. About his life dream, his father…and the person that was supposed to be his mother. He never knew Cid had been through so much. It was hard to tell with how happy and cheerful the guy was during their school life. And here Vincent had been thinking that they could visit Cid's home. He felt bad for thinking it, selfish even. Had he really just been thinking of only himself? The things he wanted. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know Cid's past. But he didn't think about Cid's feelings at all. Didn't even question why Cid never mentioned his mother or his family.

Still, he was glad that Cid told him. He was glad he was learning about a part of Cid that he was sure not many others knew about. He wanted to stay close to him, to protect him the best he could. No matter what, he'd keep him from harm's way. He'd help him to achieve his dreams. Stepping from the door, he turned moving carefully as he headed down the steps to greet his mother.

She was sitting on the couch, his young sister sitting in her lap as she rocked her slowly as she slept. A glance at the clock on the wall showed that it was already past noon. Wait, had they really slept that long? It seemed like only hours ago that they came home.

Katie looked up when she heard him coming into the room, a soft smile lifting to her face at the bed hair shooting over his head. "I see you're finally awake."

Blushing, Vincent rubbed behind his head, not getting to close sure he smelled like Cid and sweat. "Uh…how long have you been home?"

"We just got back," she said smiling as she brushed the hair out of the little girl's face. "They gave her a shot before she left. You know how scared she gets of needles."

"I can imagine," Vincent said smiling as he sat in the nearest chair. He couldn't help feeling relieved staring down at Amy's sleeping face. She looked a lot more comfortable than she had earlier, though it was obvious that she was still having trouble breathing. But it was better than it had been before which was the important part to him. They still had a few days left before they needed to head back to the school and hopefully to a new home.

"So…" Katie looked at him, a soft knowing smile on her lips that made Vincent tense up in nervousness. "Do anything interesting last night?"

"I…uh…." He knew his cheeks were red at the sudden question, eyes flickering away as he shifted his toes in the carpet really wishing he'd gotten a chance to take a shower at the least. Man, he was going to have to air his room out too. "…N-Nothing out of the ordinary. We just talked." And fucked. We definitely fucked.

"What's that on your neck?"

Vincent reached up touching at the small bite marks and bruises on his neck before he blushed holding his hand over them obviously not able to hide all of the small marks. "…Nothing." Damn it, Cid. Was it really necessary to leave so many hickies on him? Not that he'd complained before…but it was different when his mom was looking at him with that knowing, smug look.

"I see," she said giggling slightly, Amy squirming in her lap before turning her face into her mother's chest more and sighing falling asleep again. "You must have talked for quite a long time for Cid to still be sleeping."

"Y-Yeah…." He left it at that, tugging at his shirt slightly and finding that little speck of paper standing out on the coffee table really interesting. Seriously, why was his mom so nosy? And why did he have the feeling she knew what happened last night? He heard a grunt from the stairs, looking up with a mortified expression at Cid standing there at the bottom of the steps not safe from the dreaded bed hair. He was dressed at least, wearing long pajamas pants and a tank top that Vincent was sure he just pulled on.

The tank top did little to hide the bulge of muscles that lay underneath. Except Vincent's imagination didn't really need help this time as he remembered the little details of Cid's body from last night, of how powerful that body was. He could see the outline of chest muscles, strong bulging biceps, the blond V line of hair that led down to his-

"I-I'm going to go get cleaned up!" Vincent shouted out suddenly, jumping up and rushing past Cid before the other even had a chance to say good morning…or afternoon. Really, why was Vincent getting so flustered about this? It wasn't like this was his first time seeing Cid naked. And hell, it wasn't the first time they'd ever done anything with each other either. Though it was the first time they'd ever done anything involving more than mouths or hands. It was the first time they'd really had sex…had really gone all the way.

It was different than how he'd fantasized about it, better actually than he'd expected it to be. He didn't think it could feel so good, so powerful. He probably dreamed about it happening again. He wasn't even sure if it did or not. But the way Cid could reach so deep inside him and find places he didn't even know existed, those perfect pleasure points…addicting. It was addicting, that feeling…Cid. There was no way he could let Cid go. His body craved him and he actually bite his lips thinking about him, his hands tugging down on his t-shirt to busy themselves with doing something.

"Hey Vin." Vincent literally jumped out of his skin as he turned around seeing Cid standing in front of him. He didn't miss the way the blue eyes seemed to travel over his body or how he seemed to have this sort of glow about him that just made him even more irresistible. Then the cocky smirked lifted up onto Cid's lips as he took a step forward. "Ya want me to fuck ya again?"

"N-No…I-I mean…" God, why was it so hard to talk right now? Vincent leaned back against the bathroom door seeing Cid step closer. He fumbled with the handle, managing to get the door open just as Cid started to press up against him. He stumbled backwards coming close to falling but Cid's quick hand reached out catching him and pulling him close dragging him into a kiss. He stared with wide eyes giving a moan against the lips, stepping backwards only to have Cid follow him inside, not once relinquishing his lips.

Cid did pause once, reaching back to close the door and lock it before he pulled Vincent into his hold kissing him again. He was making quick work of Vincent's shirt grabbing it and breaking the kiss to pull it over Vincent's head before he leaned down suckling on his collar bone, rough hands sliding along Vincent's paler skin sending shivers running through his body.

"Your mom said she wants us to pick up the twins once we finish bathing and eating," he said before sliding his tongue out rubbing it along the skin down to his bared shoulder. "It'll be quicker this way."

"Nngh…C-Cid…w-wait…" He was moaning with his hands running through the blond hair the more he felt his body responding to the touches.

"Besides," Cid said panting as he leaned up nibbling on his jaw. "If I don't get it out of my system now, I'll spend the whole day thinking about fucking you again." Well he wasn't going to deny that. He was feeling that right now himself. How much he wanted Cid again. "Killing two birds with one fucking stone," Cid said leaning back and smirking at him. "Sex and a shower."

"Just…" Vincent swallowed staring back at him. "Just don't let me make too much noise."

"I'll keep that fucking mouth of yours too busy to try," Cid said kissing him again making him lose all concept of thought as he just went with the flow. He wasn't sure how long they'd been in the shower, only that the water had cooled by the time they finished. And he had no regrets about it.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"I was thinking," Cid said walking with him as they headed from Mrs. Bay's with the two twins in tow. They were up ahead chattering about whatever it was ten year old boys talked about. Certainly not anything Vincent was currently interested in. His interest was in the man next to him that was asking him something that seemed to be pretty important…wait what did he just say?

"…What?"

"I said I was thinking about checking up on my old place and wanted to know if you wanted to come along." Cid frowned. He'd stopped walking which subconsciously made Vincent stop too as he turned to face him as he listened to the question. He was bundled up in his red jacket with his red scarf wrapped around him to help alleviate the winter air that he could feel brushing past his ears. He found himself blinking as his stared, the words not really hitting him yet. He wasn't talking about his house where his mom was, right? Didn't he say he'd never go back there? Not that Vincent would ever subject him to that kind of torture.

"Why do you want to go there?" Vincent stared. "Didn't you say your mom-?"

"Not that place," Cid said smiling as he reached up grabbing a cig, bundled up in a blue coat and scarf Vincent's mom made him wear. She was always big on making sure everyone stayed safe and warm. "Nah, that place is too fucked up to go to. I meant my dad's old house. I haven't been there in a while and I wanna make sure it's still holding up good." He rubbed at his cheek with the cigarette, looking away almost nervously as he spoke about it. "I mean, I understand if you don't want to go. It could get kinda awkward and-"

"I'll go," Vincent said frowning and reaching out holding his hand. "I'll go with you. It doesn't matter where you go. I…I'll always go with you."

"Vin…." Cid said the name softly before a cheeky grin appeared his face. "Fuck, you are seriously making my day all around." The smile turned gentle as he tugged Vincent's hand to him nuzzling his cheek against the opened palm as he stared back at Vincent. "Thanks. I seriously doubt I coulda went there alone. A lot of fucking memories there but…fuck…I want to share 'em with you."

"It's not a problem," Vincent said smiling back as he leaned in closer. "I don't mind sharing memories with you." He leaned in kissing him earning a satisfied hum in return when Cid kissed him back.

"Eww!"

"Blah!"

"Get out of here you little monsters!" Cid yelled out making Jacob and Joshua squeal as he chased after them in mock anger. They didn't seem to mind it, laughing and pausing to stick tongues out and pick on Cid before they were running again. Vincent smiled watching after them. His family was growing fond of Cid he noticed. It was a good thing, seeing them so accepting. He wondered what Cid's father would have thought of him. Would he have liked Vincent? Did he and Cid look alike? He guessed he'd find out tomorrow when they went to see Cid's house. There had to be some old pictures lying around, right?

TBC…

Next chapter is technically already written, but I'll save it for next week so it gives me time to focus on the following chapters...and other story updates. So look forward to it, the visit to Cid's house!


	16. Chapter 16

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: And I enjoyed writing this chapter too.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 14

There were a lot of things he didn't expect when he went to Cid's house. Like the large mansion like castle that stood in front of them. Ok so it wasn't really a mansion, just much better looking than his place. It had five bedrooms, three upstairs and two down, and three bathrooms of which two of them had a tub and shower combination. It didn't exist near any other houses, being almost out in the middle of nowhere on private property belonging to the Highwind family. Further back behind the house, Vincent could make out the small hanger that he assumed must have housed some planes inside. Cid mentioned them going to see the hanger later after they walked around the house a bit.

The interior was beautiful yet held a sort of antiqueness about it. Besides it being a little bit on the dusty side, Cid apparently made sure that it was taken care of as the yard wasn't overgrown with weeds and pest nor were there any termites tearing apart the interior. When asked about it, Cid only said that other family members were taking care of the property until he was old enough. He'd be getting it for himself soon though, now that he was of age.

"It's beautiful," Vincent said staring around the house before his eyes stopped on the grandfather clock ticking away in the hallway. "Did your dad build all of this?"

"He did," Cid said smirking with pride. "Or hell, he did the add-ons anyway. Dad was fucking big on liking to build things. And sometimes make them worse." His fingers brushed against a rough spot on the grandfather clock, his eyes softening before he looked at Vincent and grinned. "Want to see my room?"

"Uh…s-sure," Vincent said, trying not to clam up when Cid grabbed his hand and led him up the steps. He took note of the photos they passed as they went, his eyes catching sight of a young Cid standing beside a man that looked almost like a duplicate of the current Cid, just a bit older. It made him smile, seeing how happy Cid looked in the pictures, especially in the one where he was missing a few of his teeth and looking proud about it holding up a toy airplane.

"This is it here," Cid said stopping in front of a door and opening it. "Sorry if it's a bit fucking stuffy. Like I said, I haven't been here since well…." He didn't finish what he was going to say, just going inside pulling Vincent in to follow him. It was definitely cluttered, but not in a way that Vincent could say it was bad. Planes, all types, were hanging from the ceiling and sitting on dressers and shelves. All of them looked handmade, some from wood, others from metal or plastic.

Vincent walked around the room, staring down at the small bed with the jet sheets on them then turning and looking at the desk cluttered with papers. He saw a drawing there, one similar in design to the Tiny Bronco Cid was working on in his dorm. Sliding the paper to the side, he saw more drawings, more designs. Each was elaborate, so detailed that Vincent could actually envision them. Had Cid drawn these? They were amazing if he had.

"Those are my dad's," Cid said smiling as he looked over his shoulder down at the papers. "He used to draw planes for me, tell me he was going to build these one day." He slid out the last page, staring down at the large plan that took up most of the page. "This one here was the real one. His final goal. He said he was going to build this and escape to outer space. Said he'd just live there being the first man to survive being off of Gaia. Was going to have a three month supply of food and water inside."

"It sounds amazing," Vincent said staring down at it. "Did he ever start on it?"

"No…died before he could. Plane crashed into the ocean or something." The way his eyes flickered away showed that he didn't really want to think about it. "Anyway, you want to go check out the hanger?"

"Sure," Vincent said reaching down and squeezing his hand. Cid accepted the affectionate touch, his hand squeezing back as he tugged Vincent from the room.

"If there's one thing we don't have to worry about when we graduate, is having a place to live."

"…We?" Vincent stopped in his tracks staring at him.

"Yeah," Cid said frowning. "I mean…we are going to live together right?"

"I…y-yeah…" Vincent said blushing really looking around the house now. Would he really get to live here? In such an amazing house? In Cid's house? "As long as you don't get sick of me anyway."

"I won't," Cid said smiling at him. "Fuck, do you think I'd want to give this up? You're like a fucking angel in my fucked up life." Vincent couldn't help smiling back as he leaned in giving him a quick kiss. At least it was supposed to be a quick kiss until Cid wrapped his arms around him deepening it and making it harder for him to breathe as he took his breath away.

Good things had a way of ending abruptly as Vincent's phone went off and he broke the kiss to look down at the caller ID. Frowning, he glared down at the phone seeing Sephiroth's name pop up on it before slipping it into his pocket.

"Who's that?" Cid asked stealing another small kiss.

"Sephiroth," Vincent said. "Don't worry about it."

"It might be something important," Cid said not relenting as he started nibbling on Vincent's neck. One of these days Vincent was going to have to call him out on his neck fetish. Especially since he was starting to leave little love marks that were pretty hard to hide.

"I doubt it," Vincent said sighing before he pulled the phone out and answered it. "What do you want now?"

"You shouldn't speak to your benefactor in such a way," Sephiroth said sounding like he was smirking on the phone. "Do you have time to talk?"

"I don't," Vincent said quickly, doing his best to sound nonchalant even though Cid was still licking at his skin and sending shivers through his body.

"I thought you would treat me nicer after all the nice things I'm doing for your family." Vincent stayed silent at his words, Cid leaning back to look up at him in confusion at the serious look on his face. He was probably worried that something had happened. He gave him a soft smile to show he was ok, reaching down to hold his hand as he waited to hear what more Sephiroth had to say to him. "You must still be hanging around with your boyfriend."

"I am," Vincent said standing up proudly as if Sephiroth could see it. "And you're interrupting my time with him. What do you want?"

"Careful not to get too cocky," Sephiroth said chuckling using that voice that had a habit of making Vincent shiver. "Even if your sister is getting treatments, she's not necessarily out of hot water."…A threat? What it really a threat this time? What did he mean by that? "Anyway, I'll send you the address to my home. I want you to meet with me when you get back from your little break."

"…What makes you think that I'll-"

"To protect your family," Sephiroth said cutting him off. "And your boyfriend too. You'd be surprised what my father can do when he gets angry." Vincent gripped the phone tighter, glancing away from the blue eyes of concern staring at him. Right, Cid didn't know about this agreement. He was doing this to keep them all safe. If he didn't do what Sephiroth said….

"Alright," Vincent said giving a sigh of defeat. "If it'll make you happy."

"Good. And if it makes things a little easier for you…you can bring your little boyfriend along." Sephiroth suddenly sounded like he was very excited on the other side of the line. "In fact, I'll be holding a masquerade party Saturday night. Why not come then? Just make sure the two of you dress up accordingly. The invitation will be sent to both your phones soon."

"…I don't have clothes for a masquerade."

"Masquerade?" Cid asked.

"That's fine. We have plenty of extra clothes here. Just come as yourself and we'll take care of the rest." Sephiroth chuckled on the other side of the phone making Vincent curse how sexy the sound was to his ear. "So, I'll see you on Saturday, my special friend." The phone hung up before Vincent could respond to that little comment. He pulled his ear back staring at the phone before he hung up tucking it away in his pocket.

"Everything ok?" Cid said frowning and staring at him. "What's that about a masquerade?"

"…Sephiroth's holding a masquerade party Saturday night," Vincent said looking at him again. "He wants us to join him." And for him to keep it a secret for why Vincent was really coming there. What did Sephiroth want him to do? Was he going to ask for part of his current paycheck? As if he even had enough for that. Likely, Sephiroth was trying to make sure that Vincent would continue to be in debt to him. In a way, it sounded similar to what Hojo had said about working in his restaurant. With what Vincent probably owed him and with how long it would be before he graduated from college, how much would his interest have accrued by then? How much before Vincent was free of their hold?

"He said he has costumes there for us to wear if we don't have any."

"Well…it sounds interesting," Cid said though his eyes were still looking up at Vincent suspiciously. "You're not hiding anything from me, are you?"

"…I'm not," Vincent said frowning. Cid didn't look convinced, just nodding his head slowly before he let it go.

"So…ready to head up to the hanger?" Vincent gave a nod following after Cid not missing how he held his hand tighter or how he seemed intent on keeping Vincent as close to him as possible. It was almost like he was afraid of Vincent leaving. Not that Vincent would ever leave him if he could avoid it. It was nothing he had to fear. Vincent was going to stay by his side for the rest of his life.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"I'm going to miss my little man," Katie said hugging Vincent tight as she kept pressing kisses to his cheek despite his embarrassment. It was Friday. They were boarding the train to head back to the dorms and to their new place of living. He felt like he was leaving with more than he came with, holding a freshly baked apple pie and an assortment of foods in the small bag he was carrying with him. Cid was smiling beside him, but quiet as he watched them. He'd been like that since yesterday, his eyes holding doubt even though his mouth might say something else. He didn't try to make out with Vincent either, only holding onto him when he was close like he was afraid to let him go.

Vincent didn't miss the way his eyes widened when his mother hugged him placing just as many kisses on his cheek as Vincent had suffered from.

"You're always welcomed here," she said smiling as she leaned back looking at him. "You're part of the family now. Our home is your home." Vincent swore he saw the surprised blue eyes water slightly before Cid quickly rubbed at them to hide the tears complaining about dust flying into his eyes. But he smiled genuinely as he hugged her one last time giving a word of thanks.

"Bring us some souvenirs next time, Vincent," Jacob said grinning up at him as he hugged him.

"I'll think about it," Vincent said smiling back and ruffling his hair. "Make sure you take good care of mom and Amy while I'm gone. I'm counting on you two."

"We will!"

"And we'll beat Cid at Chocobo Crashers 3 next time!" Joshua yelled out looking up at Cid and grinning. "I won't lose!"

"Bring it on, you little snot!" Cid said laughing as he grabbed him giving him a noogie.

Vincent smiled down at his little sister before he bent down picking her up holding her. She was bundled up to keep the cool air from getting to her lungs. He didn't want to keep them out here too long, not wanting her to get any sicker as she sniffled looking at him before wrapping her arms around him hugging him.

"Stay healthy," he said patting Amy on the back as she rested on him. She was doing a lot better though she still had a sort of hiss when she breathed. But she'd been doing well with the treatments and was starting to breathe a lot easier now. Even though Vincent felt like he'd sold his soul to the devil by getting the help of Hojo to keep her alive, he knew he'd gladly do it again if it meant saving her life.

He handed her to Katie smiling at his mom one last time before he boarded the train with Cid. "I'll call you when I make it!" he yelled back, the train whistle going off signaling their timed departure. "Keep me up to date on Amy's condition!"

"I will!" Katie yelled back smiling proudly. "Bye sweetie! Bye Cid! We'll miss you both!" Vincent waved back before heading in to take his seat. Cid sat beside him, quiet as the two of them stared out the window at the small family. They stared until the train started up moving and slowly picking up speed until there was nothing left to see but grass and trees. Sighing, Vincent sat back closing his eyes. He hated leaving home. It was the only thing he really hated about coming to visit them. He didn't like leaving them behind, but it was the only way to be able to provide for them in the future.

"So…what happened to your dad?" Cid said staring at him when Vincent looked at him. "I never hear your mom really mention him…or you either. No pictures on the walls either."

"…He left," Vincent said leaning his head back against the chair. As much as he didn't want to think about his father, about Grimoire, it was only fair that he spill his life story to Cid after almost forcing the other to tell his. "He never really did bother with us much. Had his four kids, decided it was too much work to feed us, and just left. I was about fourteen when it happened. He just left and never came back."

Sighing, Vincent glanced over at him. "His eyes are red too, just like mine. He's probably where I got it from. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I really am some kind of demon."

"I seriously doubt that," Cid said grinning at him. "A demon wouldn't be able to put so many smiles on people's faces."

"…Not unless they're a succubus."

"Or an incubus in your case," Cid said leaning over and biting on Vincent's ear. Vincent gasped glancing around quickly glad to see there was no one there see them. "Would explain why you're so damn sexy."

"C-Cid…" He shivered reaching down to hold the hand that was trying to make its way up his shirt, blushing softly. "We can…when we get back." He swallowed at the seductive stare of Cid's eyes. "We can do it as much as you want then…."

"I can't wait," Cid said grinning before sitting back in his chair again. "I need to make sure to claim what's mine."

Vincent blinked staring at him in confusion. "Claim?"

"Yeah," Cid said frowning slightly. "I get this feeling that Sephiroth's trying to steal you away. But I won't let him. Cause if he is, I'll fuck him over twice."

Now Vincent really was curious, his red eyes staring trying to read behind the words Cid was saying. "What makes you think he's trying to steal me away?"

"…Well…the fact that he seems to be calling you a bit much." Though twice really wasn't much. "And your reaction to him sort of screams harassment and…look I don't know!" Cid yelled out suddenly looking at him. "I just feel like he's looking at you like you're the perfect dinner!"

"…Like how you do," Vincent said unable to stop the smirk on his lips at Cid's curse.

"Well I'm fucking allowed to! I'm your boyfriend, damn it!" Grumbling, he folded his arms. "Besides, it's not like you're not looking at me like you want to jump my bones."

"I never said I wasn't," Vincent said leaning closer and nuzzling against him gaining satisfaction at Cid's shiver. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to restrain myself around you. There's so much I want to do, so much I want you to do to me. You eat away at my self-control each time you touch me and kiss me."

"F-Fuck…" He saw Cid's eyes close at his words, at the soft tickle in his ear from Vincent's hot breath as he whispered into it. He was certain he'd see a bulge of excitement in Cid's pants if he looked down. He wouldn't even be surprised if Cid exploded in his pants just from his touch like he'd done back on the dance floor of that night club. But Vincent's willpower was stronger, his teeth worrying at his bottom lip as he leaned back in his chair smiling at him.

"But I can hold back," Vincent said grinning more at the frustrated look Cid sent his way. "I can hold back because I know it will only be better the longer we wait." He reached out holding Cid's hand softly. "So please wait a little longer. We're almost there. Then you can do whatever you want to me and my body."

"…Easier said than fuckin done," Cid said looking like he was pouting as he played with the goggles on his head to distract him. "Got me all fucking horny with all that juicy talking and I can't even fucking do anything about it."

Vincent just laughed holding the hand in both of his. "If it helps you any, I'm hard too. So hard, I think I'm going to burst out of my pants soon."

"…That doesn't fucking help a damn thing. In fact that just made it fucking worse." He sighed then groaned rolling his head back against the chair. "Knew we shoulda gotten one of those privacy cart things." The only thing Vincent could do was smile. The three hour ride was going to be a long one. Hopefully he could keep Cid from jumping on him and fucking him right there. Of course teasing him like this probably wasn't helping at all. And granted it was torture for him as well. It was a justified pay back for the amount of hickeys Cid left on his neck.

TBC….

Because even Vincent can be a bit naughty. XD And Torturing Cid. He deserves it from all the suffering he put Vincent through earlier.


	17. Chapter 17

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: Sorry for the late update. x.x My allergies have been kicking butt lately resulting in butt shots...which suck. Also this might start going into week update since I'm working on multiple fics at once. I've also been spurge reading this awesome fanfiction called Journey by Raphaella which if you haven't read it before then you should cause it's fucking awesome. x.x

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 15

If he thought Cid's house was big, going to Sephiroth's house was like double the size. The place was huge stretched from one side of the lawn to the other. It wasn't a lie to call it a mansion. Vincent could even imagine there was a swimming pool in the back. Cars were already parked out front as a signal to there being many visitors already inside. He imagined they were already dressed up and ready for the party unlike the two of them that came to borrow the much needed costumes for the affair.

Vincent glanced over at Cid not missing the disgruntled look on his face. He could hear the other grumbling under his breath as he glared up at Sephiroth's super, big house. It wasn't hard to calm him down though as he reached down holding Cid's hand. He didn't fully relax but he did at least grace Vincent with a relaxed smile. They'd make the best of this even if they had no idea what Sephiroth was up to.

The door opened up to the sight of a man standing there wearing a black suit. He seemed to smile, his eyes looking at Vincent's own unique eyes before he bowed his head to the both of them. "Welcome," he said before standing up straight again and gesturing for them to enter. "Mr. Vincent, correct? The master has been waiting for you."

"…He even has a butler?" Cid asked, eyes staring at the man as if not believing he was really seeing one.

The man didn't seem bothered by his words as he turned starting to walk away leading them further inside. "Come, I'll show you where you may change for tonight's event." Vincent glanced at Cid seeing the other giving him a frown and a glance back in return before they followed after the man. He could hear the sound of music. It was nothing like the music he'd heard in the club that one night, instead having a sweet classical feel to it. He'd probably think of this as an average, boring party if not for the fact that he actually was here to meet with Sephiroth which only served to remind him of just how much he wasn't looking forward to this.

"Just inside of here," the butler said stopping at a door and opening it for them. "If you will change into these here, I will escort you to the dance." There were clothes lying on top of the bed, freshly pressed and looking for too expensive for his taste. Vincent turned his eyes up to the man.

"I'd like to talk to Sephiroth." He wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible.

"He's informed me that he will come to you during the party and not to worry. He knows what you'll be wearing so he'll be able to find you easily." He didn't quite trust it but all he could do was frown and nod as he went into the room with Cid. "I'll wait out here until you're ready." The door was closed leaving the two of them in privacy. Vincent glanced at Cid frowning slightly before he started walking heading to the bed with the other behind him.

He tried not to make a face at the outfits but he could judge by the amused look in Cid's eyes that he probably caught something of the dislike on his facade.

"So ya gonna change?" Cid said, his lips twisting up into a smirk. "Or do we skip out and get to the fucking?" He purposely let his eyes slide down Vincent's body when he said that. Vincent didn't miss the look or the way Cid's eyes were starting to darken with arousal. Swallowing slightly, Vincent grabbed up the clothes with his name beside them before he rushed off heading to the bathroom in the small room.

"I'll change here." He looked back at Cid as he said that. "You just change out there."

"Afraid of me seeing ya naked suddenly?" Cid said it as a joke but Vincent didn't miss the upset look in his eyes.

"Afraid of losing control," Vincent said staring at him gracing him with a small smile to cheer him up. "I still want to do it in our new home next time, even if it isn't a first time anymore."

"…Well…technically it could still be a first time there too." Vincent lifted a brow in confusion before Cid smiled back at him. "You'll see what I mean when the day comes." He waved his fingers at him to dismiss him. "Now go get dressed. The sooner we get this fucking party crap out of the way, the quicker we can get the fuck out of here." Nodding, Vincent pulled the clothes closer to him as he closed the door behind him. At least this way it'd help him with not getting well…horny by watching Cid dress. They hadn't done it since they left his home.

After he dressed he looked in the mirror, staring blandly at his reflection in the black suit with the red shirt. The pants had red strips down the sides and when he turned around he could see the red cape going down his back. Covering his eyes was a feathered mask themed in the colors of red to match his eyes. Honestly, he felt ridiculous. He wasn't sure if he felt worse in this outfit or in the one Zack made him wear to the club. Well, at least this one didn't squeeze his butt so much.

As he stepped out with clothes in hand, Cid was just finishing buttoning up the white shirt before his ears must have picked up the click of the bathroom door opening. He turned around, looking at Vincent and just looking far more formal than Vincent was used to seeing. Vincent must have been staring at him for a while because he seemed to slowly start to smirk as he reached up fixing the goggles on his head. "Must be likin' what ya see…"

"I might," was Vincent's simple response before forcing himself to turn his eyes away, looking at the door. He even though he didn't want to wear this outfit, seeing Cid dressed like that and tugging down on the blue long jacket just made him that much more…attractive. The blue and white mask covering his eyes couldn't deter Vincent's stare as he looked back at him with his white suit with blue trimmings. It was at least something he could be thankful to Sephiroth for if nothing else. The goggles on his head should have looked out of place, but it somehow gave him the look of a handsome professor. He grumbled something, tugging slightly at the neck area before he looked over at Vincent again.

"I can't wait for this to be over with," he said walking over and grabbing the clothes from Vincent carrying them to the bed where his own clothing was laid out.

"Then that's you and me both," Vincent replied staring after Cid before the knock at the door reminded him that they weren't fully alone.

"Sorry to interrupt," the voice of the butler said from the other side. "But if you are ready I would like to escort the young sirs to the ballroom."

"Yeah yeah, keep your blasted panties on!" Cid yelled out towards the door. He turned his head to look at Vincent, the irritation on his face disappearing into a soft smile as he tucked a couple of cigarettes into his breast pocket. "Well, let's get this fucking over with."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It was strange to actually see a ballroom in the large house, people milling around and chattering as if they'd known each other all their lives. No one was recognizable, not with the mask covering their faces. It didn't mean it stopped people from talking to each other…or trying to talk to him. Thanks to the red incorporated into his outfit, he stood out easily among the other guest. He didn't like it, a frown staying almost permanently on his face as he caught sight of more people glancing at him than he would have liked. It made him glad for the mask covering his face no matter how suffocatingly hot it got thanks to the feathers.

He stuck to Cid like glue, which was probably the only reason that no one had bothered to ask him to dance. The man was like his personal shield, barking and running people off that got too close to him. It made Vincent smile internally to see the reactions and made him on more than a few occasions subtly reach down to squeezing Cid's hand in thanks.

The music here wasn't anything like the club and sounded more classical in nature. He noticed people waltzing on the dance floor together, something he had no clue about doing himself. He'd never danced before…well not to the waltz. He could say he sort of danced at the club even if it resulted in mad humping more than actual dancing. Vincent stared down at the back of Cid's neck even as the blond grabbed his hand tugging him towards the nearest balcony that lay vacant.

He hadn't seen sight of Sephiroth at all since they arrived. He'd be perfectly content with the man not showing up at all. At least he could say he followed he part of the bargain.

"Man finally some fucking fresh hair!" Cid said loudly turning and resting his back against the banister before he looked up at Vincent through his mask. "Guess you're pretty popular. Everyone seems to want to get their hands on ya."

"You're pretty popular yourself." Because Vincent could admit that he noticed some people staring Cid's way as well which made him move closer to him protectively. Hell, with how many glares they were giving to the people they passed by, it'd be a wonder if they didn't figure out that the two of them were dating. Of course, Vincent really didn't care if they found out one way or the other. It wasn't their business anyway.

"I swear it feels like every goddamn eye was looking are way." Cid gave an involuntary shiver as he reached into his pocket pulling out his cig and slipping between his lips before lighting it. "Hell, reminds me of those freaky vampire movies where everyone at the party is a vampire and they just invited ya so they can suck your blood."

"Hmmm…well I'm not allowing anyone to suck your blood," Vincent said giving a glare over his shoulder at the people inside that he was sure were still staring at them. "Or any other part of your body."

"Interesting," Cid said chuckling as he blew out some more smoke from his cig, staring up at him. "I was just thinking the same fuckin' thing." The way the blue eyes were staring up at him possessively made Vincent shiver more from excitement than from anything else. "Hell, I'm getting the urge to want to sneak off and claim ya in one of the bedrooms, if ya catch my drift." Vincent couldn't stop the smile from slipping to his lips as he stared in return feeling his eyes light up with the love he felt for Cid.

"I think for once I don't mind following you up on that." Because in all honestly he didn't want to meet Sephiroth. He wasn't sure what the man was up to. That bothered him. But because of the nature of the agreement, he couldn't tell Cid about it. He'd be putting him and his family in danger if he did. And something told him that Sephiroth had the influences to get what he wanted.

"Ah there you are," A young female said smiling as she stepped out onto the balcony followed by two others. "We've been looking for you two all evening."

"Eh…no offense, lady, but go away."

"Oh don't be like that," she said moving closer pressing herself against Cid. Her friend joined her in backing him up against the wall despite Vincent's disapproving look. Vincent started to reach out to pull the girls away, but the third one grabbed his hand grinning her pearly whites at him as she started dragging him back inside.

"Come dance with me," she said hidden behind the mask. Vincent didn't even get a chance to protest as he was yanked out onto the dance floor. He could see Cid struggling to push the girls away but they were good at keeping him trapped.

He was moved, feeling completely disoriented as the girl pressed closer grabbing his other hand as she pulled them into the waltz spinning with him. He tripped over his feet a few times, his mind telling him something wasn't right. He couldn't see Cid anymore over the heads of people dancing all around him. Whether he'd gotten away from the girls or not was unknown. He was about to force the girl away from him when he felt a hand on his shoulder stopping their dance.

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow him for a moment." The deep voice made Vincent tense up, his body going still as he looked up seeing Sephiroth looking down at him with a smirk as the hand squeezed his shoulder.

"Ah…S-Sephiroth." The girl broke away, a hand over her mouth though she stared at the man with a sort of awe evident in her eyes. "N-Not at all. Please, excuse me." She slipped away quickly, disappearing into the milling group of people dancing with only a glance back to show she'd been there at all. Vincent wasn't paying attention to the dancers, though. His eyes were focused on the tall silver haired male hovering slightly over him.

"I'd like for you to follow me," Sephiroth said, finding amusement in how Vincent backed away before he grabbed the hand pulling him. He led them from the dance floor, others giving a nod of respect in Sephiroth's direction. But he ignored them, his attention focused on the path he weaved through. Vincent looked down at the hand that warmly clasped his own and frowned having an urge to wrench his hand away. But he couldn't, not until he could figure out what Sephiroth had in store for him.

"Here should be quiet enough," Sephiroth said escorting him into the small study. Once inside, he closed the door drowning out the sounds of music and chatter and leaving them in a deadened silence. Vincent shifted slightly, feeling more uncomfortable being in this man's presence than having to listen to him on the phone. He was reminded of how handsome Sephiroth was, from his perfect face on up to the emerald of his eyes. Yet it was strange that Vincent found more delight in Cid's sky blue eyes than anything else. "Care to have a seat?" He said it while gesturing to one of the chairs by the study's desk.

Vincent didn't move, didn't say a word as he stayed by the door glaring at the man. He really just wanted to get this over with so he and Cid could leave. He didn't even want to come to this place to begin with. Seeing his gesture ignored, Sephiroth just chuckled casting a smirk his way as he walked over and leaned back against the desk staring at him. "Wanting to know what the party is for?"

"I'm wanting to know why you called me out here," Vincent said glaring more at him. "What do you want with me?"

"Right…our demands." Sephiroth smirked. "That's why I called you here to see me." Sephiroth shifted crossing one leg over the other where he stood. "It's simple. I just want you to meet with me here three times a week for at least one hour."

"….To do what?" It sounded too simple to be true.

"Just to hang out and entertain me," Sephiroth said folding his arms over his chest. "I like spending time with my friends after all." The statement didn't sound right to his ears.

"…Without Cid?"

Sephiroth seemed to frown at the mention of his name. "I'd prefer you came without him…but if it makes you feel more comfortable then you can bring him along too."

"How long do I have to do this?" He needed to know.

"…Two months at the least," Sephiroth said shrugging his shoulders. "I'll be content with that."

"Good…then we're done here?" Vincent turned resting his hand against the door knob. He froze when he felt the other's body behind him and turned his head to yell at him before he froze feeling the lips on his own. He didn't respond, couldn't respond. How had Sephiroth moved so quickly to catch him off guard like this? His eyes were wide at the chaste kiss before he felt something being pushed into his hand.

The lips broke away, a sensually chuckle sending an involuntary shudder through Vincent's body before the suave son of Hojo stepped back brushing his hair from his eyes. "As delicious as I thought it would be," Sephiroth said licking his lips ignoring how Vincent's stare was still on him as he swallowed slightly. "It will be fun stealing your heart away from Cid in these next two months."

Vincent didn't say anything and found it hard to pull his eyes away. But he did, using his shaking hand to pull the door open before he slipped out quickly closing it behind him. He stood there feeling like his legs could go out on him at any moment from how weak they felt. He hadn't expected that. He leaned back against the wall closing his eyes and forcing his breath to slow so he could get himself together. This wasn't good. What had that been? Sephiroth…kissed him. Why would Sephiroth kiss him?

Hearing the doorknob turning, Vincent felt his eyes widen more before he pushed up to his feet and forced himself to walk, moving quickly to mingle in with the crowd of dancers. He looked for Cid, needing the man near him. He should have brought his phone with him. Instead, he'd left it in the room with his clothes, something he was going to have to go get soon. He thought about it before he headed off in the direction of the bedrooms.

He'd been right to think about the phone because as he was about to go into the room he bumped into the very man he was looking for.

"Whoa," Cid said before his hands reached out grabbing Vincent's shoulders steading him. "You ok Vin-mm!" It was sudden, he knew it. But he had to reaffirm it with himself that he was still with Cid. His lips pressed against Cid's in need, his arms coming up to wrap around the shorter blond as he held onto his shirt, his regular clothes. It felt good, the smells radiating from Cid giving off a calming effect. "Mm, whoa. Vincent, something wrong?" He frowned pulling back and staring down into the red eyes staring up at him. "Did something happen?"

Vincent stared up at him before he slowly shook his head, glancing away from him out of guilt. He felt Cid grab his wrist and tug him inside closing the door behind him before grabbing Vincent up pulling him close in a tight hug. "Sorry. Those crazy bitches wouldn't go away until I threatened to kick their asses." He frowned, his hand resting on Vincent's hair making the other give a sigh of relief at feeling the fingers combing through his mane. "You didn't get attacked by any perverts, did ya?"

Vincent tensed for a second before he forced himself to relax, hoping that Cid didn't catch the little action. "No…"

"Good." But the way the hand had stilled before continuing said he wasn't entirely convinced. "Came back here hoping to find ya. Figured I'd change into my clothes so it'd be easier for ya to see me." He rested his chin down on Vincent's hair. "Guessin I didn't need ta go through all that, huh? Ya found me on your own anyways."

Though it had just been luck that Vincent decided to head this way. He leaned back still feeling whatever it was that Sephiroth had pushed into his hand. He held his hand up seeing the little key in hand with a tag attached with the address on it.

"…Ya ran into Sephiroth?"

"...Yeah…he handed me this." Among other things he didn't want to think about. He was just glad the man didn't try to feel him up too. What made him think he'd win Vincent's heart anyway? Vincent was completely devoted to Cid and his accomplishments. "I guess it's something we can look at tomorrow then."

"I guess so." The sound in Cid's voice didn't sound so sure. When Vincent looked up he could see the worry reflected in those usually vibrant eyes. "Ya sure nothing happened? I don't need ta go kick anyone's ass?"

The words themselves put a soft smile on Vincent's face before he slowly shook his head staring up at him. "No…you don't need to kick anyone's ass."

"…Heh," Cid chuckled staring down at him. "Never thought I'd hear you cussin. I must be a bad influence on ya."

"I think you might just be," Vincent said in respond, not stopping Cid from leaning down and kissing his lips earning a satisfactory moan from him.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Cid said breaking the kiss and stepping back to let him go change. "Go get dressed before I end up undressing you myself and fucking your ass." He didn't have to tell Vincent twice. He even undressed right in front of Cid, though he made sure he moved quickly before Cid could have a chance to pounce on him. The last thing he wanted was Sephiroth or one of his many friends to burst in while watching Cid have his way with the young red eyed male. Didn't mean he didn't enjoy that thought though. Would serve him right for that stupid stunt earlier.

TBC…

Hope you enjoyed it. If you haven't noticed yet, things are starting to heat up. XD


	18. Chapter 18

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: Tiring week x.x so tiring.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 16

The bus ride from the dorms to the house took close to twenty minutes. It was just the four of them on the ride there, Reno having opted out because he had his own car. Both he and Rude said they'd meet them there at the house. Zack and Cloud joined them on the bus, the latter of which was kneeling beside Vincent with his butt up in the air as he stared out the window not seeming to notice that his jean covered bottom was waggling around in the air for all to see. Honestly, Vincent might have stared if it weren't for the fact that he was with Cid and had no physical attraction towards the spikey haired male. Granted if Cid had been in the same position, he might have openly gawked if not groped him.

Vincent's red eyes glanced to his other side at the short haired blonde that had bundled his chin down into his dark blue jacket and fallen asleep, the light sounds of his snoring reaching his ears. It seemed that any kind of moving vehicle could easily null the grumpy male to sleep. He could imagine it'd be a different case if Cid was up in a plane. The way the man could talk about the open skies and how perfect it felt for him to be flying through the clouds let Vincent know that he probably did get to fly with his father.

He turned his head looking past Cloud's butt to Zack who seemed to not have a problem of keeping his eyes on his young blond boyfriend. He seemed like he was stuck between telling Cloud to hide his butt in the seat and ogling at it himself. He must have caught sight of Vincent staring at him because he smirked sheepishly as he leaned back in the chair hiding from sight again.

It didn't take them long to get to their destination, the four of them piling out of the bus after Vincent nudged Cid awake. They followed the street of Midgar Way walking until they came to mailbox number 76. He heard Cid curse beside him and Zack whistle behind him as he stood in front of the large house, much bigger than the one he went to with Cid but smaller than Sephiroth's mansion.

Reno and Rude were already there standing in front of the door. They turned when they heard the whistle, Reno's eyebrow lifting up at he pointed back towards the house. "This is a pretty big house, yo. How much ya sayin this place is?"

"…$299."

"…Each?"

"…In all."

This time Reno was the one to whistle as he looked up at the big house not paying attention to the group of them walking up to join them. "Can't say I'm complaining, yo. But how da hell ya get something like this so cheap? That's like 50 bucks each, yo!"

Vincent sighed slipping past the red head as he stuck his key into the door. "…Sephiroth." He unlocked the door and pushed it open heading inside. "He was willing to give us a discount for the place."

"Wait wait wait…you can't mean that Sephiroth, right?" Zack was the one that said it. The way he said it bothered him as Vincent turned around and frowned seeing the troubled look on Zack's face. "The one from Chocobo High?"

"Oh yeah, I heard about that guy. Some big shot or something, right yo?" Reno blinked looking at Vincent. "Ya know a big guy like that, yo?"

"Yeah, we were all kind of friends with him," Zack said with a nervous smile. "Well I was anyway. Vincent sort of met him before he graduated so they didn't get to hang out much. I think Cid used to talk to him sometimes, right?"

"He used to help me with my literature class. That's about it though." Cid still didn't look too happy about hearing the name pop up. It seemed he was getting more and more agitated the more Sephiroth text or even communicated with him. Especially since Sephiroth never once called Cid's phone despite getting his phone number as well. "Anyway, it's not like he's that great of a guy." Those words were a very big contrast to when he'd been enjoying Sephiroth's company back at the bakery. Was Cid the jealous type? Well, that much was obvious. Then again, Vincent could say he could get pretty jealous too. Maybe even a little possessive of the short haired blond.

"Let me talk to you for a second," Zack said grabbing his arm and tugging him away. He looked over his shoulder giving his patent smile as he waved at the others. "Don't mind us, just look around and see what this place has for us."

Zack took him upstairs to one of the bedrooms, closing the doors so they were in privacy. Vincent didn't fully pay attention to his actions, his eyes glancing around the fully furnished room that had everything they need as far as dressers and a bed but was lacking in the way of a television and other more personal things. Bed sheets had already been put on the bed making him wonder if people still lived here or not. He'd have to ask Sephiroth about it before the deal was made…as much as the idea of calling the man didn't agree with him.

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"Hm?" Vincent looked over at the question seeing Zack staring back at him and frowning as he spoke again.

"Sephiroth, I mean. I know he was sort of infatuated with you back in high school. But I didn't think it was something I had to worry about since he graduated before anything happened." Zack walked over to the window looking down towards the backyard. "How long has he been seeing you?"

"…A little less than a month now." Vincent stared at his back wondering about the serious personality. He thought he was good friends with Sephiroth, at least while they'd been in school together. But the way he was talking and those last few words he'd said made Vincent wonder just how close the two must have really been. "He ended up meeting me at the bakery I work at."

"And he hasn't done anything to you, right?" Zack looked at him with those words, the seriousness of his usually cheerful personality making him feel uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"…No," he lied frowning. "The only thing that's happened is his family helped us when my little sister got sick."

He would have thought that would calm Zack down but that seemed to make it worse as the shorter male walked over looking at him persistently. "Tell me you didn't make any kind of deals with them." Vincent frowned not able to really say anything to deter him. "…You did, didn't you? For this house?"

"…I can't really talk about it," Vincent said turning around heading for the bedroom door. No matter how much he might really want to, he couldn't say a word about it. His family was in danger. Cid was in danger. Probably even his friends were in danger. He needed to take care of this alone, without getting others involved. He also didn't want to mention that it wasn't just for the house. It was for his sister's good health. As much as he hated Sephiroth and his father, he was also thankful to them for saving Amy. What would have happened if they hadn't helped him? Would his sister still be alive?

"Vinc-"

"I've got it all under control," he said opening the door. "So please stop worrying about it." He left the room to the sound of Zack calling after him. He didn't get very far though. Cid met up with him outside in the hallway staring at him with an almost knowing look that made Vincent feel guilty when he glanced away from him. Had he heard the things he and Zack talked about? He had a feeling Cid followed them up the stairs.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah," Vincent said in response starting off to the next room under the guise of inspecting it. "Everything's fine."

"…You're telling me the truth, right?" Vincent turned to him again meeting the blue eyes that seemed to be trying to read his own. For a moment he thought that he really had read everything.

"…Yeah," Vincent said lying right through his teeth and feeling all the more guilty for it as he kept himself from looking away. He'd never had to lie to Cid before…but ever since this Sephiroth thing came up, he'd lied to him three times, each one eating at a chunk of his heart. Each time, Cid had that look like he didn't believe him. But he never pursued it further. And every time, Vincent was mildly upset that he didn't. Because he knew if Cid fought it harder, he'd probably break down and tell him everything. But he had to be strong if he wanted to protect him and everyone else.

"…Alright then." Cid's eyes turned away from him, those brief five seconds having felt like an eternity of him staring. "Since we're the ones with the bright fucking idea of getting a place to stay, we're taking the master bedroom. Means we're getting our own bathroom so ya can walk around the room naked all day long if ya want." At that he turned to Vincent grinning and making the ebony haired male blush at the look. "Long as it's just me in the room with ya, anyway. It also means we'll have to pay the difference in the price meaning we'll probably be paying about 52 bucks or more depending on the taxes."

"I can handle that," Vincent said nodding his head as he walked into the master bedroom. He almost froze in place from how spacious and nice the room was. It was pre-furnished too, the furniture completely matching the room in looks and color. Inside the bathroom they had a long countertop with two sinks. Back behind it was a bathroom with a walk-in shower built on the side of it. That would be useful for if they were both in a rush for a bath.

Back in the bedroom, the bed looked like it could easily accommodate the two of them, the thought of them living as a couple putting a smile on his face. He almost jumped when he felt arms coming around him, the softness of lips meeting his neck making him moan out softly as he leaned back in Cid's loving arms.

"I can't wait to fuck you all over this room."

"Too much information, yo." The two jumped back, turning as one to see Reno standing in the doorway grinning as he stared at them. "Kinda figured you two were jumpin in da sack together."

"Ya damn moron! Knock before ya come in!" Cid looked like he was about ready to run over and jump him. Vincent was too busy wishing he could hide in the floor as he kept his eyes looking away from the red head.

"Door was open, yo. I just came ta tell ya there's a pool out back and a basketball court on da side." He smirked at his words looking between the two of them. "Hey Vinny. If Cid can't score with ya, yas can always come ta me for da rebound, yo."

"Didn't I tell ya to stop calling him Vinny? And aren't ya supposed to be into women?!"

"Vinny's pretty, yo. I'll make an exception to the rules for him."

"Heh. Well too bad! Because once ya go Cid ya never go back!"

"That doesn't even make since, yo! I hope ya didn't woo Vinny with that crappy pick-up line."

"His name's Vincent, not Vinny, ya damn, annoying, stupid, batty shithead!"

"Stop talkin about yo self, shit for brai-" The sound of Vincent's phone going off stopped everyone in the room as both eyes looked at Vincent. Pulling his phone out, Vincent frowned staring down at it before he turned his eyes to Cid.

"Sephiroth…"

"Shit…well, see what the fucker wants," Cid said pulling out his cigarette and not appearing to give a damn that he started to smoke it in the house.

"Got somethin against Sephiroth, yo?"

"Just the fucking fact I don't trust the fucker as far as I can kick him."

Vincent listened to them a second before he answered the call listening for Sephiroth to talk on the other end. He wasn't going to admit that he felt like his heart thumped faster when he heard the voice or that he felt nervous talking to the man. In a way he wished he wasn't in the room with the others.

"So, how are you finding the new house, my little Vincent?"

"…It's…ok."

"Just ok?"

Sighing, Vincent glanced over at Cid using him as his strength to keep talking to Sephiroth. "It'll work for the time we're going to the school. So it's possible we'll rent it."

"Hell, just tell him yeah we'll rent it. There's no way we'll find a better place in this amount of time, yo. We may not even find anything better if we did have time."

"Ask him if this place was built on a fucking graveyard or something. Still too fuckin weird that it's this cheap."

"You can tell them I'll have their answers for them in about one minute."

Vincent blinked then frowned. Exactly what was that supposed to mean? He got his answer before he wanted to, the sound of the doorbell ringing drawing his attention to the first floor. The three of them in the room looked at each other before rushing over to the window seeing the extravagant car sitting outside in the driveway.

"I'm coming in," Sephiroth's voice said smoothly into the phone before the line went dead.

"…He's here," Vincent said glancing at Cid as he said the word, unable to stop his throat from moving as he swallowed. Cid noticed it, his eyes narrowing down on the small lump moving before turning to the door.

"Well he ain't getting the special treatment. He either needs to come up here like a fucking man or leave."

"Cid-"

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something," Sephiroth said startling the three men in the room as he stood leaning against the doorway. His eyes turned to land on Cid, a small smile appearing on his lips not looking anywhere near as sinister as Vincent felt he was. "And to answer your questions, it's perfectly safe. No graves were disturbed when this house was built."

"…But why so cheap, yo? There's got to be a catch to it."

Chuckling in that way that sent a shiver down Vincent's body, Sephiroth looked at the red head. "No catch. It's all because I'm such dear friends of Vincent and Cid that I'm doing this."

"…Yeah? I can understand why you'd including me in that but how are you suddenly "good friends" with Vin?"

"We've met each other in high school. Isn't that correct, Vincent?" The green eyes of Sephiroth landing on him made him nervous, his whole body tensing up before he looked away quickly to avoid the stare. Why? Why did he feel so anxious around the man? Was it because of the kiss? Damn it, why did he have to remember that now? He could feel his cheeks heating up remembering the feel of the lips against his, soft and perfect. He hated to admit they felt good. He tried not to glance at Cid, afraid of looking at him when these thoughts were coursing through his mind.

"That is…correct," Vincent said slowly, refusing eye contact with him when he looked in his general direction. "We did go to school together." It didn't mean they were good friends there, just acquaintances that met that one time. How did Sephiroth even remember him from that one incident?

"Right. And I did get out of touch which I will say I'm sorry for. But since meeting again at that bakery and once again at last night's party it was like…fate." Vincent could almost feel the frustration radiating from Cid as he glared at the man. But he kept his mouth shut, his lips just a thin line of anger that he looked like he wanted to use to throttle the man. "Anyway, if you all agree to stay here, I'll have you come downstairs to the kitchen to sign the papers. Once that's done, the house is as good as yours as far as renting goes. I'll give you your extra keys as well." Sephiroth had the nerve to smirk as he walked out the door giving one last remark. "Take your time."

Fate…they were fated to be together? What kind of sick joke was that? He snuck a glance over at Cid, noticing how the other was looking down at the ground, a frown on his lips as if he was contemplating just going down the stairs and killing the man. That wouldn't solve anything for him. Maybe it was time he told Cid everything. Maybe he could explain what was going on but tell him not to do anything, to just pretend that everything was ok. But would it be beneficial to Cid to know that he was in danger? He was sure the man would snap if he knew that Sephiroth was blackmailing him using his family and friends as a scapegoat.

"Let's…go downstairs, yo," Reno said breaking through the frozen silence as he started out the door leaving behind the tension that Vincent could feel growing inside the room. Vincent went to the door hesitantly before he turned around staring at the blond in the middle of the room.

"Cid…"

"…" Cid looked up at him, the anger still reflected in his eyes before he visibly calmed down giving a sigh as if to get all of that pent up frustration out of him. "I'm fine," he said walking over giving him a small, almost forced smile. "I'll call Barret later and see if he'll let us borrow his truck to move everything. I'm sure Reno doesn't wanna lug all our stuff here."

"He won't mind?" He knew Cid was avoiding the topic of whatever was on his mind concerning Sephiroth. And honestly, Vincent wasn't ready to ask him about it. Because he didn't know where the conversation would go, or what Cid say about his reactions around Sephiroth. He was almost sure the other hadn't missed them. It just made him feel even guiltier.

"Nah. After some of the days I stayed late to help him work on some last minute jobs, I really don't think he would mind." He reached up draping an arm around Vincent's shoulder in a very companion like way as if nothing from before had ever happened. "He says he has this old car that he might sell to me. Said he'd give it to me cheap but I'd have to fix 'er up myself and shit."

"I'd help you fix it if I knew what to do."

"Just come be my moral support," Cid said grinning over at him. "You can pat me on the back when I end up destroying the transmission while thinking I know what I'm fuckin doing."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea," Vincent said smiling slightly in return. "But I guess I could treat you to ice cream or something afterwards."

"Yeah…vanilla flavor. Because who the hell even eats chocolate?"

"…I do."

"…For real?" Cid looked over waiting for the brief nod before laughing out. "Well fuck." He grinned suddenly as he stared at Vincent, his eyes sliding down to his neck as he leaned close brushing his lips against it sending a shiver through Vincent's body. "Maybe I'll start liking it if I eat it off ya."

"C-Cid…" He squirmed blushing at the feel of the lips on him giving a moan when he felt a tongue sliding out brushing against his skin making his eyes slide closed.

"Maybe I should fuck ya now. Have ole Sephy boy squirming in his undies while only being allowed to hear you moan." He bit back the next moan, feeling Cid's hands traveling down this sides growing more and more urges to want to slam the door shut and get taken by Cid right up against it.

"Hey! We ain't got time ta wait all damn day on ya two, yo!" The voice came from downstairs reminding Vincent that they weren't alone and that there was still the task of signing for the house and getting Sephiroth out of there as quick as possible. "So get yo asses down here so we can finish the deal, yo!"

"Quit fucking ruining the mood, pencil dick!" Cid yelled back grumbling before he stepped back grabbing Vincent's hand. "Well let's get down there before I strangle his fucking ass with his own god damn hair." Giving a brief smile, Vincent only gave a nod of his head before being lead downstairs to finish the signing of his fate to Sephiroth. With Cid clinging to him the way he did downstairs, it wasn't hard to say that Sephiroth left with a pissed off enough that it left Cid perky the rest of the day. And Vincent wasn't going to say he had a complaint against it.

TBC…

Couldn't think of anything to say afterwards. ^^ Except I hope you enjoyed the read.


	19. Chapter 19

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Comment: Work is so stressful. x.x Anyways finally finished this chapter.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 17

Their first night together consisted of snuggling in bed to the sound of Reno banging the newest two legged species he'd found at the nearby club. Vincent was just too exhausted from the move to do anything more than kissing. Both he and Cid had spent all night moving all of their things out of their old dorms and into their new home. Cid was used to moving large objects thanks to working in the automotive business. Vincent didn't have as much luck and was easily tired out with loading everything into the truck. He'd have to take a chance to go by and thank Barret later for letting them borrow his truck. Otherwise this whole moving thing would have been completely impossible…or even more tiring.

Still, besides Reno, things were looking good. The house felt very cozy and he was free to redesign the room as he saw fit meaning putting up his favorite pictures and posters. He spent a good deal of the morning walking with Cid through the neighborhood and checking out things in their vicinity. There was a decent sized park with a basketball court that Cid was determined to make use of later when they had the chance. Not that Vincent was into sports that much. He did remember seeing Cid play a few times back in school for the fun of it, but never for the basketball team.

The most Vincent would do was swim, and that wasn't often. He had a family to take care of after all meaning walking to his brothers' school to pick them up and take them home for his usual babysitting duties and cooking dinner. He just didn't have time for after school programs. Babysitting was just the thing to do when his mother had to go work late at night to feed her family. It was just…normal for him.

He was glad he got to rest through the night seeing as he had work that afternoon. Right now he was watching Cid working on what would soon be their car once he got it up and running. They were using the automotive shop and since Cid was currently had nothing to do while waiting on car parts to come in, he figured he'd work on the car. It was an old hunk of junk that once belonged to Barret. The older man said he was willing to part with it if Cid could fix it.

He was inside right now helping with the car and pointing out the things that needed fixing. Cid would nod in response wiping his sleeve over his face and leaving more mess than had originally been there. It looked like a lot of hard work. Cid was covered in sweat, oily smudges and grime. And somehow that dirty look was really appealing to Vincent right now. But he didn't have time to fantasize about it, or of washing Cid's body down in a shower. He had thirty minutes left before he had to go to work meaning he really needed to get going.

Sitting up, he knocked on the glass getting Cid's attention and waited until the other came out leaving Barret to continue looking at the car.

"Time to go already?" Cid asked, the scent of motor oil wafting off him.

"Yeah." Vincent stared at him only blushing when he saw the other lift a brow at him with a smirk.

"I take it you like what you see," Cid said laughing when it only made Vincent turn redder. The laugh turned to a grin as Cid returned the appreciative stare, looking Vincent up and down. "Don't worry. I like what I see too."

"Ah…" Standing quickly, Vincent gathered his things before he walked over giving him the quickest kiss he could on his lips turning his head to hide his embarrassment. "I'll see you after work."

"Alright," Cid said returning a softer smile. Vincent found himself smiling back before he left heading out and down the street to where the café was. He should have known something was wrong by the lack of people crowding at the door. But if that wasn't enough, the sign taped to the front of the door was a good sign that something was up. Closed indefinitely.

Frowning, he quickly checked his phone to find no message stating anything about the store closing. He called Melissa, the old lady's granddaughter, only to receive a voice happily saying that the person wasn't available to reach the phone and to call back later. Vincent was starting to freak out. Something was wrong, he could tell. Melissa would have told him if the store closed. The sign on the door just didn't feel right. Did something happen to Mrs. Cook and her granddaughter? He turned to head back to the auto shop but ended up bumping right into someone. An apology formed on his lips but the voice that spoke first froze him before he could even utter a word of it.

"What's the hurry?" Vincent looked up catching very intrigued green eyes staring back down at him. Sephiroth stared back at him, a smirk on his lips as he folded his arms over his chest. "It's as though there is a fire nearby."

Vincent turned his eyes away, frowning as he stared at the paper on the door. Was this Sephiroth's doing? As if to answer, the taller male spoke suddenly drawing Vincent's red eyes back to him.

"A shame what's happened to the old lady," Sephiroth said turning to look at the sign like he was telling an old story. Vincent stared feeling the suspicious growing in him. "Her house caught fire last night. The only way for her to make ends meet was to sell her business over. Now she's living in some nursing home somewhere while her granddaughter had no choice but to move in with a friend. A shame she lost her phone in the fire too." The way Sephiroth looked at Vincent after he said it all gave him the answer he was really looking for.

"You did all this," Vincent said, staring at him accusingly.

"I can't control what nature does," Sephiroth said laughing like it was a joke. "The old lady should be happy she wasn't caught in that fire." Vincent frowned. He didn't want to talk to him anymore. The man was sick, his family was just sick. He started to walk, shouldering past Sephiroth before the other's words stopped him once again. "Your boyfriend's fixing up a car to drive, isn't he?" Vincent tensed up and glanced back at him, not gaining any ease from the sadistic smirk on Sephiroth's face. "Would be a shame if the brakes went out on it while he was driving one day."

"What do you want from me?" There was no way he could leave now. Not with that threat hanging up in the air. Sephiroth stepped forward, holding out a business card with the name 7th Heaven on it.

"It used to be a bar," Sephiroth said staring up at him causing him to shift uncomfortably when the eyes started to rake over his body like he'd just found the perfect piece of meat. "But it's changed a bit since then. There's a deli shop inside now. We're looking for someone to cook for them." The look told him who that someone was going to be. "You'll start working there tomorrow night."

"I'd rather not."

"Then maybe you don't mind your Cid being fried when his car blows up while he's trying to start it." He tensed up again staring at Sephiroth with wide eyes. The man couldn't be serious. That was an obvious threat on Cid's life. "Don't bother trying to call the cops about it either. They actually work for us now." Sephiroth chuckled, walking over and draping an arm over Vincent's shoulders as if they were the best of friends. "It's really simple work. The only thing you have to do…is cook."

Sure, it sounded easy but Vincent was still getting this bad feeling that there was more to it than what Sephiroth had said. "Maybe you should check it out," Sephiroth said close to his ear sending a shiver down his back before the older man finally stepped back starting to walk away. "Since you have nothing else to do right now." Vincent frowned staring after Sephiroth before looking down at the card. Well…it couldn't hurt to see exactly what he was getting himself into. He'd text Cid before heading there. Ugh, how was he going to explain this one to Cid without mentioning Sephiroth?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He hated lying, he really did. But it was the only way to get around it. He told Cid that Melissa's grandmother was ill and that she had to shut down the shop for a while. He even said that the card he received was one Melissa gave him for she knew the owner and that he could work there for a while until the shop opened again. Granted the whole, closed indefinite sign did at least help matters. The catch was that Cid would be going with him to check out the new place. And in Vincent's mind, he just hoped that Sephiroth wasn't going to be around when they arrived.

At least the good thing about 7th Heaven was that it was within walking distance of their home and didn't require him taking the bus with all the late night creepers. But there were a couple of things that didn't sit well with either Cid or Vincent. One was the late hours that took it until four in the morning. The other was the fact that-

"It's a strip club?!"

…That it was a nightclub. Somehow, considering who it was that gave him the card, he shouldn't have been surprised, except it led to two more problems. Cid wasn't going to let him work at a place like this. And Vincent wasn't going to let Cid's life be in danger because of him.

"Hell, there's no way I can let you work here, Vin!" They were standing out front of the club, probably looking like to dorky fools considering they were still dressed for work and Cid looked like he'd just finished rolling in a pile of mud.

"I'm only here to cook," Vincent said doing his best to deter Cid's worries even if they did nothing for his own. "It's not like I'll be dancing on stage." Heaven forbid he ever even think that thought. There was no way he could even imagine himself baring himself before everyone and shaking his goods. He could barely even dance at the club the one time he went with Cid and mostly did a few hip sways while really grinding against the man now known as his boyfriend. Hell, it was thanks to those hip sways that he actually got the man to be his boyfriend. Well that and wearing almost nonexistent clothing thanks you Zack and Cloud. The Prick and his accomplice.

"But what if someone tries to hit on you?!"

"…I doubt it." Vincent looked at Cid lifting a brow. "Unless I suddenly grow breast and lose my…thing overnight, I doubt that men are going to want to look at other men."

"I'm a man and I look at you all the time."

"That's because you're gay."

"Bisexual," Cid corrected. Right…Shera. "And how do you know these guys aren't gay or bisexual too?"

"Because they most likely wouldn't come to a club that focuses on seeing women naked." It was a weak argument but he hoped that Cid wouldn't question it. But seeing the frustrated look taking over Cid's face, he knew this was far from over.

"Vincent, I really think you shouldn't-" The words stopped when Vincent leaned down kissing him. It was a dirty trick but it usually worked well as an argument ender of this type. And just as he thought, Cid started to give up on discussing it as he kissed him back making it easy for Vincent to lose himself to the kiss. Ironic they were two guys kissing in front of a straight nightclub.

The kiss broke and Vincent found himself staring down at him still taking the moment to catch his breath. A glance around showed they were the only two people outside at the moment. Good. This would be the perfect time to head back before-

"Cid? Cid, is that you?" Cid looked up past him towards the half opened club door before his eyes widened, his mouth gaping slightly as he stared.

"…Shera?"

Shera? Wait…that Shera? The one who dated Cid before and ended up dumping him? No, that couldn't be.

"What are you doing here?"

"I work here," she said frowning at him before her eyes turned to look at Vincent. "You must be the new guy Sephiroth mention." She must have known it was him by his red eyes. Who else would have eyes like these? Vincent was speechless, not because of the fact that she knew who he was, but because of the fact that he knew he was busted thanks to her big mouth. He was only just meeting the lady and already he didn't like her.

"…Sephiroth?" Cid's eyes turned looking at Vincent with disbelief. "Don't tell me you're working here because of him." Boy, was that an understatement. "You said Melissa fucking set you up at this place." Anger and betrayal started to grow in Cid's eyes as he stared at him backing away from him. "Were you just lying about that shit?" The glare being directed at him reminded him of the time back at his home where he'd foolishly mentioned wanting to know more about his past…in particularly about this very Shera that was standing there staring at them after ruining the whole moment.

"I…I'll explain everything once we get home," Vincent said feeling defeat. There was no more hiding it. There was no way he could hide it anymore. That look of betrayal was killing him more than he would have thought. He'd been lying for a long time now. He was going to have to explain a lot to Cid and hope against all things that Cid believed him.

"Yeah, you fucking better," Cid said glaring at him before he turned away starting to walk off. He didn't even say bye to Shera who was staring after him. Sighing, Vincent started walking following Cid but staying at a distance giving him space. He couldn't blame Cid for getting angry. He was angry at himself for lying so much to the man he's supposed to love. There was no way he could hide it anymore, what his deal was to Sephiroth and Hojo or how much everyone was in danger because of him. And once he was done explaining it, he just had to help that Cid didn't try to do anything like look for Sephiroth and try to murder him. And that was all if he believed him.

TBC…


	20. Chapter 20

Warnings: Yummy foods, hormones, college drinking, swearing, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Author's note: Long delay again. x.x Sorry. Blame Tera. DX that game is an addiction for me. Oh and work. x.x A lot of issues involving work.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 18

It felt like the walk home seemed to do some good in helping Cid to calm down, even if Cid did walk ahead of him the whole time. Vincent stared at Cid's strong back, counted the amount of cigs he smoked until he ran out of them with a violent curse. He himself was too busy contemplating just what all he was going to say to the other man. The one thing he was sure of was that he couldn't lie again. He'd already destroyed Cid's trust in him. There really was no reason to make it even worse. He didn't want to think about how much that made his chest hurt, to know that Cid couldn't full bring himself to believe in him again.

As Cid went into their room, Vincent hung at the door with a frown that looked permanently etched into his face. He was getting cold feet but could anyone really blame him? He'd been trying to avoid this very thing from happening which was all thanks to Sephiroth…and to that girl Shera. The fact that Cid had stayed silent the rest of the walk home bothered him more than it should have. He knew the reason why though. He was scared. It wasn't something he liked to admit, but Vincent was scared of Cid leaving him.

It was a noticeable fact that Sephiroth wanted him for one reason or another, more so evident to Cid by yesterday's short greet and meet. Would Cid leave him because of that? Maybe he'd leave out of fear for what could happen to him. Vincent couldn't say he blamed him. Even Zack was really careful concerning Sephiroth and his family.

"What are ya doing?" Cid had come back to the door, frowning though the glare and look of distrust was still there in his eyes. It hurt to look into the eyes that normally brought him peace. Vincent glanced down at the floor. His mouth opened fluttering for an answer before the words froze in his mouth as the blond grabbed his wrist dragging him into the room. "Hurry the fuck up so we can get this over with."

Vincent frowned following him in ignoring the feeling of butterflies flying in his stomach. Whether it was from Cid touching him or the thing they were about to talk about right now, he wasn't sure. Fear was definitely eating away at his thoughts right now. He was waiting for Cid to tell him to get the fuck out and never speak to him again. Maybe he'd just beat him and leave him for dead. These were the thoughts running through Vincent's mind before he found himself being embraced in heavy arms. He tensed in surprise before he heard the words slipping from Cid's lips into his ear.

"Fuck…why? Why the fuck do ya keep lying to me?"

…So Cid knew. Cid knew he'd been lying for quite some time now. But he'd never bothered to say anything about it. Why? Was it because of the trust he had in Vincent? Because he believed in him? Damn, this was making him feel even worse. How much of a damn loser could he be? But…he had to. If he wanted to keep Cid and his family safe, he'd had to lie.

Right now, he had to make a decision. If he kept up with the lie, if he broke it off with Cid now, he could keep him safe. It was obvious Sephiroth wanted him…he could still stay with him. At least it'd be quicker to pay off his debt to the man if he was living with him and giving him everything he wanted. But he still had the choice of telling Cid the truth and putting his boyfriend in danger…. Damn it, neither option sounded very good now. But he had to choose. Otherwise he was sure Cid would choose the option for him.

"…I did it to protect you." A coward. He was too much of a coward to hurt Cid like this any longer. Even if it was shortening the other man's life just by him being involved. Why couldn't he just walk away from him?

The body wrapped around him froze before Cid leaned back, blue eyes staring at him in confusion at the words. Cid swallowed slightly, looking like he was working up the nerve to speak again before the soft word slipped out of his lips filled with so much meaning even though it was so short. "…What?"

Staring back into those eyes, Vincent knew there was no going back now. He'd have to explain the things he'd been through for weeks since Amy's illness came into the picture. He stepped back walking over to the window to stare out at the darkened streets below. It sure got dark out fast but it helped to relax him, darkness being more a comfort to him instead of something to be feared.

"The day I took Amy to the hospital," he said starting off with that and swallowing slightly. "I told you about how Dr. Hojo took care of her." He could imagine Cid nodding behind him staring at his back with a frown on his face. "Her care wasn't free." He turned glancing at his face before looking at the floor. "I signed an agreement. In exchange for saving her life, I had to agree to work it off." He frowned thinking about it again, remembering that man's intense stare. He knew what his son was into. He knew that his son had an infatuation with Vincent. "Part of that agreement was that I had to do whatever they wanted me to. They being both Hojo…and his son Sephiroth."

Nothing but silence spoke to him in return. He took a chance on looking up at the other seeing only a blank expression being returned. There was nothing to read there on the usually expressive face. It was more than a little eerie and made him actually take a step back to lean against the windowsill, staring…waiting.

"…I'm going to kill him." Cid said it suddenly while heading towards the door leaving Vincent staring at him stupefied before the taller male rushed after him.

"Wait, Cid!" Vincent reached out grabbing hold of Cid's wrist stopping him in panic. "Don't do anything!"

"I'm not going to let that asshole get away with messing with my boyfriend!" Cid struggled to pull himself free, initially pulling Vincent along with him who was powerless against his stronger, angrier body. "Vin, let me go! Let me kill him!"

"No! Stop! Cid!" There was no getting to the man. The rage was taking over. Vincent had never seen Cid get so angry before. Part of him was glad that it was in defense of him, but there was no way he could let Cid see Sephiroth and give away that he told him everything. It looked like he'd get his way when Cid tripped getting off balance and falling with the inevitable chain reaction of Vincent falling with him. The landing was soft for Vincent, well at least as soft as Cid's muscled body would allow anyway. It took the wind right out of him causing Cid to grunt underneath him as vertigo seemed to reach its maximum level.

It took Vincent a moment to sit himself up, his dazed eyes glancing around before he realized where he was again and backed off of Cid quickly. "Cid!" He reached down shaking the man by his shoulder and staring at his back scared at the lack of motion from the other's body. "Cid, are you ok?!" He was about to freak out and call the cops when the other's words reached him.

"…Why?" Vincent blinked staring down at the body before Cid turned his head just enough that he could look up at Vincent with one eye. The red eyed male could clearly read the emotional turmoil spinning around in Cid's stormy orb. "Why are ya protecting that jerk?"

"Cid-"

"Why Vin?" Cid yelled out cutting him off, the anger and frustration boiling up again as he narrowed his eye. "Damn it, why the hell are ya protecting him?! Ya two fucking dating?! Fuck, are ya doing more than that with him?!"

"What?! Cid, we're not-"

"Two timer!" Cid sat up then, yelling and glaring at him. "Just using me! That's all it is! Just fucking use me like toilet paper for ass wiping!"

"Cid-"

"I don't want to hear it!" He yelled glaring at him hard, his eyes looking red like he was on verge the tears. It was nowhere near as red as Vincent's natural eyes though. But it still crushed the ebony haired male to see Cid like this. "I can't believe how much of an idiot I was! I'm a fucking-"

"Cid, just listen to-"

"-idiot for believing you actually-"

"I didn't want you to die!" The outburst and the way he grabbed Cid's shoulders startled them both. Somehow they were both breathing hard staring into each other's shaky eyes. It was the first time he'd ever raised his voice at Cid, the second he'd even had an argument with the man. He knew he was scared for the very words he'd burst out. He feared for his family and for this man's life. And for that he was willing to give up his own for them. That was why he agreed. So they'd be safe. But he wasn't prepared for all of this, for this fight to ever start, for him to have to admit to those fears again.

"Vincent…what…did ya…?" He sounded just as stunned as he looked, his voice coming out softly as if he was afraid of making too much noise. Vincent's words were slowly catching up to him. It meant something really deep was going on for Vincent to even mention anything about him dying. This was more than just a normal little tiff involving some jealous stalker or whatever Sephiroth was. Cid had to be wondering just how much trouble Vincent was in. It was time to explain everything in detail now.

"Sephiroth…threatened to kill you and my family if I tried to retaliate," he said trying not to put as much emotion into the words as he felt on the inside. "Yesterday, he…he threatened to do something to you if I didn't go along with it. I have to work there. Melissa and Mrs. Cook are gone."

"Wait, what? What the hell happened to them?"

It was like he couldn't hear Cid talking to him now, his words just came out quickly, every feeling he'd held in these last few weeks were bubbling out, and he couldn't stop the flow of it. "I wasn't supposed to say anything to you! If I said anything to you, he'd kill everyone close to me!" Vincent clenched his hands on his knees. "I can't lose you all!"

"Vin-"

"I can't!" He lifted his head, eyes crazy with fear. "Cid, I can't! I can't do it! Please…don't…don't tell him…if he finds out I told…" He trailed off, staring ahead of him feeling his gaze get unfocused as his thoughts got carried away. This house was owned by Sephiroth. What if he had cameras around or tape recorders? What if he'd already messed up by telling Cid all of this? Had he already written out a death sentence for his family? For Cid? He shouldn't have told him. What if Sephiroth found out? What if he already knew? What was he going to do then?

Cid wrapped his arms around him. Just being wrapped up in the warm arms of the person he was trying to protect was too much for him. The tears fell before he could stop them, his hands clutching at Cid's shirt feeling both relief and guilt at his confession. He hadn't cried since he'd been a child. With all of this happening all at once, it was just too much for him.

He could hear Cid gently shushing him, could feel the numbing effect Cid's voice had on him. It might have been too much when he felt his body shutting down forced into a world of needed slumber. His throat hurt, his eyes burned. He felt miserable and he hated it. But there was nothing he could do, not right now. He wasn't sure how long he'd been down, reduced to sniffling and finally just complete silence. But with everything he'd gone through in just one day, sleep caught up to him before he could fight it. And because he was still in Cid's arms, he could feel nothing but the care of the other male watching over him.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

When he woke up the next morning, he was alone. It seemed Cid had carried him to bed seeing as he didn't wake up on the floor. He couldn't remember ever falling asleep last night, though the memories from that time didn't do anything to make him feel any better. He was tired still, his brain ached from everything. Coffee could probably help but he really didn't feel like getting out of the bed if he didn't have to.

There was still one more day before classes would start and he didn't have to start his new job until later tonight. Cid had been nice enough to leave a note on the nightstand for him saying that he had to go in early at the automotive shop…which was weird because Cid never went in at this time of the day. Was the shop even open this early? No, Cid was obviously avoiding him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left him when he'd normally be begging Vincent to come to the shop with him.

Could he blame the man? He'd be surprised if he stuck around at all. To know your life was being threatened would scare anyone. Of course, Cid would stay away from him. Though it wasn't a bad thing. The less Cid hung around him, the better off he would be and the less likely Sephiroth would feel the need to want to kill him.

Vincent showered before calling his mother to check on his family, smiling slightly when he learned everyone was ok. It meant Sephiroth hadn't done anything…yet. That was if he knew about what happened. He'd keep checking up on them, though. Keeping tabs and being reassured by their voices. He had to…he'd go insane if anything happened to them.

By afternoon with no phone calls from Cid, he was starting to think the man really ran away. He found himself staring at his phone, hoping for something. He'd tried texting a couple of times, asking how Cid was doing and if everything was ok. He'd done that around lunch time. Two hours later and he still hadn't received anything. It was until the start of the third hour that he started to panic wondering if Sephiroth had actually figured everything out and killed him.

"Hey, you alright?" Zack stopped in front of his open bedroom door, frowning as he looked in at Vincent sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine," Vincent said closing his phone and sitting it behind him. No, he wasn't fine. Either Cid was dead somewhere or he'd completely run away. Neither thought was helping his overactive imagination right now. He remembered Sephiroth saying something about messing with Cid's car. What if he went to the shop to work on it and got into a car accident while test driving it? Didn't he say he was almost done with it? Or maybe Cid left and went back to his old home, or convinced the school to give him a dorm.

"You don't look alright." Zack invited himself in, moving to kneel in front of Vincent as he looked up at him. "I haven't been your friend all these years without knowing when something was wrong. Hell, I can assume I'm your best friend by now. So you know you can tell me anything." Vincent didn't as he glanced to the side avoiding the other's honest gaze. He knew Zack would listen. He knew all about Sephiroth…but he was afraid of pulling more people into this. He'd already doomed Cid, maybe even his family. Did he really need to bring anyone else down with him?

"It's about Sephiroth, isn't it?" Zack said frowning and hitting the nail on the head dead center. "We didn't get to finish our talk the last time, but I want to know." A hand came up to rest on Vincent's knee drawing his attention back to his spiky haired friend who was staring up at him dead serious. "What kind of deal did you make with Sephiroth?"

There truly was no hiding this from Zack. He was obviously familiar with Sephiroth's methods, granted Vincent wasn't sure of how that could be. Well he might as well be truthful about it. If Sephiroth already knew and Cid was dead, what was the point? "Hojo. When we were at the hospital, I signed an agreement with Hojo saying that I would do whatever he and Sephiroth wanted to pay them back for Amy's treatments."

Zack blinked, staring up at him. His eyes got wider and wider the longer he looked at him, mouth half open before he spoke. "Vincent, what were you-"

"I had to," Vincent said cutting him off, glaring down at him as he pushed the hand off his knee. "If I hadn't, Amy would have died."

"But you let yourself walk right into their hands!" Zack yelled out before he lowered his voice standing up. "I told you, remember? That Sephiroth's been after you since high school. Hell, it might have even been before that! Damn it…" Sighing, Zack bite at his thumb worryingly. "If it's something like that, it's going to be a little tougher."

"…What are you talking about?" Vincent asked frowning as he stood as well, his eyes glancing to his phone when he heard it buzzing alerting him to an incoming call. Was it Cid trying to contact him back? Or was it the dreaded Sephiroth at his tricks again?

"There's…there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes." Zack glanced away from his accusing stare. "I can't really talk about it here but…" He looked at Vincent again, his usually playful physique completely gone in the face of this quiet, almost somber male. "What has he threatened to do if you don't follow his demands?" The phone quieted down but Vincent resisted the urge to look at it, his eyes focused on Zack, debating telling him. But he knew he could trust him. He'd known him how many years now? "…My family. He threatened to hurt my family…and Cid too."

"Hmm…" Zack frowned a little bit looking like he was thinking hard in that spiky head of his. "That's going to be a little tougher…but I think it's manageable." Vincent blinked staring at him in confusion.

"What are you talking ab-"

The phone buzzed again. "You better get that. It might be important." Zack looked down at his watch before he cursed under his breath. "Ugh, I'm going to be late! I'll talk to you later, Vin!"

"Zack!" Too late. The man was quick, already gone before Vincent could even say anything else. He couldn't imagine what Zack was up to. Frowning, he glanced at the phone that once more stopped ringing. Was it Cid? Was it Sephiroth? At least if it was Cid, he could feel safer knowing the man was alive. But what if it was Sephiroth? He only called when he wanted something. What could he possibly make Vincent do this time?

When the phone ring for the third time, he reached down picking up the phone and clicking answer before he had the chance to look at the number. He swallowed, listening to silence on the other end of the line before he spoke breaking the still air around him. "Hello?"

"Vin! Fuck! Ya had me worried sick! Are ya ok?!" Cid. The sound of his voice put Vincent's mind at ease as he fell back on the bed, lying back to look up at the ceiling feeling the pounding of his heart calming down in his chest. How could the sound of one voice make him feel so much better? "Vincent? Vincent, talk to me."

"I'm here," Vincent said sure the relief was there in his voice. He couldn't hide it, couldn't disguise it. He heard Cid let out a breath on the other end, realizing that he'd been just as worried.

"Ya weren't answering your phone, I thought…" Cid didn't continue his words probably out of fear of what he thought had happened. Instead, he changed the conversation all-together. "How are ya holding up?"

"I'm doing fine," Vincent said feeling the smallest of a smile grace his lips. "It's…good to hear your voice. I'd been worried…when I saw you gone. You never texted back, so I thought…that maybe something happened." Or that he'd left. He'd definitely thought he'd left. God, did he have to feel so good about knowing the man of his life still cared about him? Granted the phone call could be from cities away. But then again, it wasn't a good idea to think about that just yet.

"Nah. It's just been crazy here." There was pause, definitely hesitation on the other end of the line. It was enough that Vincent caught on to the fact that something was wrong.

"Did…did something happen?"

"Hm? Oh, nah. Nothing bad happened just…well…" The hesitation again. "I changed my hours at the shop. I'll be working in the morning before I get to my classes." Vincent blinked. That was…well not as bad as he thought it would be. But it was kind of weird.

"Why? Is something wrong at the shop?"

"Oh…oh nothing's wrong. Heh, actually I just kind of uh…took up another job."

"Another job?" Was money that bad for him now? He frowned.

"Yeah. It'll be good to have the extra money. I can save up money for extra car parts. Hell, even for my future plans." No, there was still something missing. It wasn't about the money. Cid said he had a bunch from his dad that was still in savings waiting for him to sign for it and take it all on. There was more going on here for Cid to be so hesitant.

"So…with you having a second job and school…we won't be able to see each other as much." He was right…Cid was avoiding him. This was it. Once they started being apart more, it was inevitable that they'd break up. Then…then he-

"Actually, I doubt that'll change. Since I'm fucking working at that night club you'll be working at."

Wait a minute. "What?" Vincent stared up at the ceiling, eyes wide now from that one sentence. There was no way he'd just heard that.

"I'm going to be working at 7th Heaven as an exotic dancer."

TBC…


	21. Chapter 21

Warnings: Yummy foods, college drinking, swearing, and some other stuff I haven't thought of yet

Pairings: Valenwind

Author's note: Sorry for taking so long to push this one out. XD I enjoyed this chapter a lot though...I got delayed working on another Valenwind fic for a competition that I never finished because it got too off topic. XD But I'll still post it up once it's finished. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 19

"I'm going to be working at 7th Heaven as an exotic dancer."

A lot of questions ran through Vincent's head at that last sentence. Most of it consisted of the how and why. But he didn't get the chance to ask when Cid hung up saying he was on his way home. The thought of Cid dancing around provocatively brought about both good and bad things to his imagination. It meant he'd probably get a glimpse of Cid in a very naughty setting doing things he could only dream off. But the problem was it meant everyone else would get to see that same image. That thought didn't sit well with him.

Vincent had dinner made by the time Cid got back. It wouldn't do to have him dancing on an empty stomach. Though it seemed everyone else in the household felt the need to want to invade on their dinner meaning the thought of any left overs was out of the bag. It was a good thing he hadn't made dessert yet. Did anyone else in the house even know how to cook? He was getting the feeling that he was starting to turn into the resident mother for their home. Well if they thought he was going to start cleaning the house for them, they were in for a surprise.

He could tell that Cid wanted to talk more about earlier by the way the other kept glancing at him, but with everyone chattering around the table about miscellaneous things, not to mention the topic at hand, they'd have to wait until later to enjoy a more private conversation.

"We're off to work," Cid said pushing his chair back and standing up stretching his back to pop a few unused muscles. "Since Vin did all the work on cooking, yall can show your appreciation by cleaning up the fucking table."

"I ain't no house maid, yo."

"Yeah, just the resident pest."

"Vinny, take the mutt out before he starts howling and shitting all over the floor, yo."

"I ain't a dog, you fucking-"

Vincent tuned the rest of the argument out as he walked into the kitchen putting his dishes in the sink. His mind was still floating back to what Cid said about working at 7th Heaven with him. Granted, Vincent didn't know much about the place, but from his research earlier you had to know someone in order to get hired into a place like that. For Vincent, it was nothing more than Sephiroth's involving hand. So how did Cid get hired there? He doubted the man talked to Sephiroth since it'd become a point that he couldn't stand him. Just who did he convince to let him work there?

"Hey Vince." Vincent looked up seeing Zack coming into the kitchen. He hadn't been there for a dinner so he must have just gotten back. The fact that Cloud wasn't anywhere close by must have meant the blond didn't know he was back yet. "Did I miss out on your awesome dinner? Man, I thought I'd make it back in time."

"Cloud made you a plate. It's in the fridge."

"Oh man!" Zack grabbed at his chest overdramatically like he'd just had a heart attack. "Seriously, that guy's a life saver. It would have sucked eating cereal for dinner again." Vincent looked up at him, watching how the playfulness just seemed to morph away into business as Zack let his hand drop from his chest. "You're going to that place tonight, right?"

"Yeah…" It wasn't like he had much choice. Either show up or deal with Sephiroth threatening his family again. Of course, Zack didn't know about Cid working there too. Would things get better with Cid there, or worse? What would Sephiroth do if he saw him there?

"Be careful," Zack said resting a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "If anything happens, give me a call." Vincent nodded about to turn away when the grip tightened and he found himself staring into stern blue eyes. "Promise me."

"…I promise," Vincent said frowning as he pushed the hand away.

"Alright…" Zack stared at him a moment longer before he was heading to the fridge. "You seriously need to make some cookies soon. My sweet tooth is being deprived of sugar."

"The less sugar it has, the less likely it will rot and fall out of your mouth." Vincent blinked at the mental image before he found himself smirking a little. "Of course, I wouldn't mind seeing you walk around completely toothless."

"Oh cracking jokes, now?" Zack laughed sticking his plate in the microwave. "I swear you've been around Cid too long. You're starting to pick up his personality. Soon you'll be chain smoking and cursing everything in front of you."

"What'd you say, asshole?" Zack tensed up glancing back with a nervous chuckle as he rubbed behind his head staring at Cid who just so happened to come into the kitchen right at that moment.

"Eh, well look who it is. We were just talking about you." Zack laughed glancing back at the timer on the microwave.

"Yeah, I heard you dumbass." Grumbling, Cid folded his arms over his chest, his fingers holding a cigarette that looked ready to be used. "You ready to go, Vin?" Zack got a look on his face giving Vincent a confused look. Vincent just shrugged his shoulders before he headed for the door feeling Cid moving right behind him. "Don't wait up. And clean the fucking kitchen up!"

"Ain't doing it, yo!" Reno's yell was the last thing they heard as the door closed up behind them.

"Damn douchebag," Cid grumbled out starting to walk with Vincent following beside him. "Can the assholes at least try to be fucking helpful?" The blond didn't take long at all to light up the cig as the two of them started down the sidewalk heading for the exit of the residential area. It was a pretty quiet walk, maybe a bit more on the awkward side for Vincent considering they hadn't really had a chance to talk since Cid's surprise job announcement. The air was chilled as the weather was starting to get closer to winter since it started pulling away from fall. He should have thought about bringing a jacket, his arms folding up slightly to deter the cold.

The whole situation still didn't sit right with him. The whole Cid being an exotic dancer just wasn't right. If Sephiroth didn't know Cid was working for his company, he was sure to know about it by now. Vincent glanced over at his boyfriend, watching him puffing away at his cig seemingly lost in thought himself.

He remembered the way Cid had moved on the dance floor back at the club. Despite Cid's words that he wasn't a good dancer, the movements and action had definitely been enough to catch Vincent's attention at the time. Plus, Cid was very handsome, had a sexy body and seemed fairly popular with the ladies despite Vincent not wanting to admit to that. It was possible he could be an erotic dancer…or maybe the person he talked too had seen enough to know he'd be good at it…which was the problem Vincent was facing right now. What if he ended up too good at it? He could end up with some girl named Suzy going back home with him instead of Vincent Valentine.

Vincent frowned. He shouldn't just be thinking about this in his head. He should be talking to Cid about it, express his concerns and why he thought this was a bad idea. It didn't matter that Cid had done the very same thing just one night before. Hell, his job was different. At least for him he was just being a cook, not some tender piece of meat being waved around on a pole for a bunch of waiting cougars. The only ones that should be allowed to see Cid's body like that was him, the bed, and maybe the swimming pool. And that pool would be lucky if Vincent didn't glare it into nonexistence.

"Hey Vin?" Vincent glanced over catching Cid's blue eyes staring at him. It surprised him for some reason to see the other staring at him with such a serious look. Was there more that he was going to reveal to him?

"…Yes?" He hated feeling so anxious when Cid spoke.

"Why exactly is Sephiroth targeting you?" Well it was a good question. Cid knew that Sephiroth was threatening his family and friends now, but that didn't clearly explain the reason for why he felt like harassing Vincent so much. Even Hojo hadn't been seen since the agreement was signed, unless he let his son do all the dirty work for him.

"…Apparently he's liked me ever since high school." Vincent frowned walking along side Cid down the sunset lit streets. "At least that's what Zack told me."

"So he's been a pervert all this time," Cid said grumbling under his breath before he blinked slowing down as he looked at Vincent. "Wait, Zack knows about him too?"

"…He kind of...told me this morning," Vincent said glancing away from him. "He was suspicious of Sephiroth's actions and confronted me about it this morning." Cid nodded slightly, starting to walk again. It almost seemed like he approved of Zack's observation. "How did you end up getting a job at 7th Heaven?" And as an exotic dancer of all things.

"Eh…turns out Barret knows about the place because he has a friend that works there. I sort of…told him about the situation and how I didn't want you working there. He's the one that suggested I start working there too. Since I can't cook and I doubt I'm good at serving tables, I figured dancing and making a fool of myself would be the easiest thing as long as it got me in the door."

Honestly, Vincent would have felt better if he'd just been a simple janitor. Instead, Cid was going to be up there stripping and showing off his body to…to women? To men? Wait…. "I thought 7th Heaven was just a men's club to watch women strip."

"It is," Cid said slowly, carefully keeping his eyes looking forward. "Just that they like seeing men dance too." So it was a bisexual men's club…or a bisexual club in general since it meant it was a service for women too. He frowned a bit deeper stopping to drop his cig and crush it down into the pavement before he continued walking again. "This is why I didn't want you working at a place like this in the first place."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter," Vincent said frowning seeing the building up ahead.

"I know," Cid said sighing sounding more frustrated than he let on. "Don't mean I have to like it." He sighed staring up at the place. "Might as well get this shit over with, right?" Vincent didn't respond as Cid went up the steps heading inside. Instead he just followed behind him hoping that things would go well some kind of way.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

While Vincent was learning his way around the kitchen, Cid was put through training by being forced to watch the women strip up by the front stage. Vincent tried not to let the thought of what Cid was looking at bothered him even if his mind could over provide him images of Cid's drooling eyes staring at those women. It frustrated him, especially since he was sure that those strippers had to be attractive with their big hips and larger breast, both of which he was completely lacking in.

A girl named Tifa Lockhart was currently showing Vincent around the semi crowded kitchen pointing out everything he would ever need to create the foods on the menu such as pots and pans, the stove, the fridge, the spice rack, special accessories, and the extra items for when they ran out of them in the kitchen. It was a fairly large kitchen meaning it'd take him some time to adjust. He was sure he'd get used to it in no time. He wasn't set up to cook today anyway, just to observe the other cooks and get familiar with the location. Honestly, for an erotica club, it wasn't all that bad. The small opening for where they set the food down provided enough view to the stage for him to be able to see what was going on. Right now there wasn't anything really going on except for Cid laughing with the girl on the stage. Ok, that could get annoying.

It didn't last long as Tifa took him out into the show room letting him see the setup of the main lobby that was currently empty since they didn't open for another fifteen minutes, not that Vincent was complaining about that at all. Tifa was the girl that got Cid the job as an exotic dancer and was really close friends with Barret. She was only a few years older than them working towards a nursing degree. From the moment he saw her smile he knew she was a nice person. He wondered if she worked here willingly or did Sephiroth trick her into working here as well. How many people working here had been forced into it like him?

Cid was sitting up on the edge of the stage listening far too intently in Vincent's opinion to the young lady standing by the pole. She seemed to be explaining how to best use the pole. He doubted that Cid would be dancing tonight since he was a complete rookie. At least, he hoped he didn't have to dance tonight. Maybe Cid would see that it was too much for him and quit. Vincent was hoping for that at least.

"This is the bar," his colleague said to him forcing his attention to return to her. "This is my usual work spot." She smiled at him. "I do make up some pretty good cocktails. But I'm betting you're not of age to drink yet, right?" She laughed a little brushing her black hair behind her ears. "I guess Sephy made some adjustments to let you guys work here huh?" Sephy? Why such a cutesy nickname for such a jerk? So that meant Sephiroth knew Cid was working here then.

"Yeah…." He left it at that, frowning at the name. Definitely the last person he wanted to think about right now.

One of the doors leading to the back rooms by the stage opened up admitting two more girls that were chattering with each other before one of them looked up in their direction before waving wildly. "Tifa!"

"Yuffie!" Tifa smiled grabbing Vincent's hand before he could stop it as she dragged him over to the girls. The first thing that caught his attention was the fact that all three girls were wearing the same attire. The second thing that caught his attention was that the attire for all three girls was quite provocative showing more than enough cleavage and ass to make any man drop dead of nosebleeds. Well anyone man that wasn't gay like Vincent. Good think he wasn't a woman or he'd be stuck wearing the same revealing outfit as well.

"Let me introduce you," Tifa continued gesturing towards the short, peppy girl. "This is Yuffie Kisaragi."

The short haired female gave him a salute and a silly grin as she looked up at him. "Yo!"

"She's one of our serving girls. She'll be taking the food you make to the tables. Of course sometimes the cooks have to help out too when it gets too busy or when we're shorthanded."

"Some of the serving girls actually dance on the stage when they're not down here helping us pass out plates," Yuffie said giggling slightly as she glanced at the girl standing next to her. "Aerith here is a pro in every department."

"Oh don't say that," the young brunette said resting both her hands on her cheeks as she blushed making Vincent's brow lift up. Was she really one of the strippers too? He found that hard to believe by appearances. She just seemed too innocent to be one, almost like a young virgin that couldn't possible take of all her clothes for the pleasure of wolfish men. "I-I only do it when there's absolutely no other choice."

"By the way, Tifa!" Yuffie grabbed onto her arm again shaking her slightly. "You haven't told us his name yet! Is he the new exotic dancer? He looks really cute!" Vincent's cheeks went red at the compliment, but his mouth dropped open at the mention of him being an exotic dancer. Seriously, did she really think he'd be the type to get up on the stage and take off his clothes? He could barely undress himself in front of Cid without feeling like he was dying of exposure. "Your eyes are really cool. Contacts?"

"…Yeah." It was the easiest answer he could give anyway. The only ones that knew the truth about his eyes were his family, Cid, and Zack.

"His name's Vincent Valentine. He's a little…quiet," Tifa said smiling at the younger looking girl. "That's our new exotic dancer there," she said pointing at Cid up on the stage walking around the pole looking at it with a frown like he didn't believe it could hold a person up. He actually grabbed the pole with both hands shaking it to see just how sturdy it was, oblivious to Vincent's watchful eyes gliding over his body. "His name's Cid Highwind. He's good friends with Vincent."

"Hmm…" Yuffie's not so quiet hum drew Vincent's attention back to her as she cupped her chin between her fingers studying him making him shift uncomfortably. She must have caught him staring, her suspicious eyes glancing between him and Cid before a slow smirk lifted to her lips. That couldn't be good. "Good friends…or "good" friends?" Well if that didn't put a blush on his face, his mouth fumbling for an answer.

"Yuffie!" Tifa yelled out.

"Aww I'm just teasing." She laughed hanging on Vincent's arm tugging it against her chest without realizing it. "But you have to admit, they'd look cute together."

"Oh, we don't have much time left," Aerith said interrupting before Tifa could berate the girl. "The store's opening in five minutes. Vincent hasn't even gotten dressed yet." Dressed? Oh right, he was a cook. He needed to wear some more appropriate clothes in case things got a little messy in the kitchen.

"I'll take care of that," Tifa said looking at the other two girls. "You two get ready for opening. I get the feeling tonight's going to get a little crazy since it is payday." As the other two girls ran off, Tifa's attention returned to him as she looked up at him. "Follow me." She moved quickly giving him little time to reacting as he followed after her.

They headed for a door by the stage. He caught sight of Cid looking at him, smiling with a wave of his hand and couldn't help blushing as he glanced away quickly following after Tifa to keep on his agenda. He couldn't afford to look at Cid right now, not while he was in the middle of learning to become intimate with a pole. Ugh, was he really getting jealous of a pole now?

"Here," Tifa said stopping in front of the door labeled men's locker room. "When you go inside, look for the locker with your name on it. Your clothes are already inside." She smiled at him then. "Usually it takes a few days to get the clothes customized to your body, but it seems like Sephy already knew your size." He didn't want to speculate into how that could be possible. "I'll wait here while you finish dressing."

The locker room was pretty fancy, even for a guy. Painted blue walls and sparkling clean floors greeted him upon his entry. There was a couch sitting in the middle of the first room with a door on either side that led to either the lockers or the bathroom to the other side. There were quite a number of lockers in the room though it didn't take him long at all to find his. A label with his name on it had been placed onto the locker which happened to be sitting beside Cid's as well. Oh well, he might as well get dressed and get ready for the evening.

::::::::::::::::::::::

He wasn't pleased in the least by the outfit he wore for his job. This was worse than what he'd worn to the club that night where he'd banged hips with Cid on the dance floor. Yeah, this was much worse. The only thing he wore besides the tiny, leather booty shorts and tall black boots, were the white cuffs around his wrists and a white collar around his neck with a black bow on it. Maybe the shirt was missing? He should keep looking just in case.

He had no intentions of leaving the locker room, not until Tifa sent in another male waiter dressed in similar attire to drag him out. The name etched into his collar and cuffs read Mukki. It was also brazenly written across the ass of his pants in bright red letters. Vincent knew that because his own had his name written with perfect lettering so everyone knew who he was. Great.

"Guess you're not much of a fan of the clothes," Tifa said smirking before turning to Mukki with a smile. "Thanks, Mukki."

"You're welcome," he said smiling with a wink. "Call on me any time you need help with such a cutie."

"I will," Tifa said laughing as she watched him walk off. "You'll get used to the attire," she said starting to walk. The sound of music was loud, the club dark enough to draw attention to the stage. It didn't mean that he didn't get quite a few eyes looking at him as he followed behind Tifa, crossing his arms over his chest in the best attempt to cover his chest. Well it wasn't like he was a woman or anything, but he seriously felt over exposed and put up for an exhibit. He literally yelped with a jump when someone slapped the back of his ass. "You'll get used to that too," Tifa said smiling back at him.

Vincent was so glad to get back to the kitchen he thought he'd die if he ever had to leave again. Here, at least, he was given an apron to protect him against food splattering on his bare chest. He felt a little more at home now that he was in such a familiar environment. At least here he could feel at home and not out there with all eyes feeling like they were on him. How could Cid stand it? His instructions today were just to observe and occasional gather up ingredients for the cooks when they needed them. They were dressed in the shirt shorts as well, but they did at least wear a shirt. Why didn't he have a shirt?

Two hours went by quickly without him running into a single problem. Not until Yuffie came running in excitedly announcing that it was Cid's turn to dance as she pulled Vincent out the kitchen for a quick break. At first he thought maybe he'd just heard it wrong. It was only the first night, why was Cid dancing already?

And damn if Vincent couldn't concentrate as Cid stepped out on the stage to the name Mr. Mechanic. It fit him, really. He looked a bit nervous standing up there on the stage, an unlit cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth. He looked around the room, his eyes narrowing as if he were looking for something. When his eyes landed on Vincent, the anxious look in his eyes just seemed to shatter to pieces as he took a moment to light up his cig before the music started signaling him to start moving his hips.

He placed the lighter into the pocket of his overalls that looked far too much like the one he wore for work all covered in oil. They must have failed at getting him to take his goggles off because they were still firmly fitted to his head tightly holding the pack of Moogle cigarettes in place. Moving to the sound of the beat, his heavy boots took him out to the edge of the stage where multicolor lights flashed across him as he reached up unzipping his overalls showing off the gleam of skin beneath the clothes.

Vincent blushed staring at the bit of skin he could see, hearing the sound of cat calls and cheers from the spectators as money was tossed up onto the stage. He couldn't completely ignored the fact that everyone was cheering and yelling for his boyfriend to take his clothes off but it wasn't like he could just rip their eyes out of their sockets. Or could he?

"What's the matter?" Yuffie asked looking up at him. "You're looking like you ate a fifteen day old sausage. This bothering you that much to see your friend like that?" No, actually he was really enjoying seeing Cid like that. He just didn't want everyone else to get to see him like that too.

"I think I ate something bad yesterday," Vincent said lying through his teeth even as he glanced back at the stage staring at Cid's bare chest now that the overalls were dangling around his hips hanging on for dear life. "I need to use the restroom." He didn't wait to hear her response, heading for the room by the stage. He was both lucky and unlucky to not feel any hands groping him. It meant that everyone's eyes were focused on the stage. And he was doing everything in his power to keep his eyes from looking up to where Cid was working his magic. How much more did he have to expose anyway for these greedy people?

There were two guys in the locker room this time, the men chattering with each other and changing into clothes for their performance. He could feel their eyes glance at him as he walked past heading into the bathroom and walking over to the sink as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. The red eyes staring back at him didn't give him any sympathy, as if berating him for chickening out on something he knew was going to happen anyway. It wasn't like Cid was doing this thing for his enjoyment. The door opened to the locker room and he heard the voices of the two guys that had been in there receding until there was nothing left, assuming that they'd just left the room. Good.

He liked being alone in a quiet place by himself anyway. It would give him time to think. He needed to find a way past this jealousy, granted he could understand now how Cid had felt before. It wasn't a good feeling and he literally wanted to smack himself for feeling this way. The door opened again making Vincent sigh as he reached down cutting the sink on. So much for a brief moment of isolation.

The cool water splashing on his face seemed to help cool his frustration. It also served to cool the raging turn on Cid had provided him with during his little show. If Cid wanted to do it with him tonight, he honestly had no objections to it. In fact, he was hoping Cid would feel up to sexing him up a bit. How long had it been since they'd last done it anyway?

Grabbing the paper towels from nearby, he dried his face and nearly jumped out of skin at the sight of Sephiroth standing behind him in the mirror.

"Nice to see you too," Sephiroth said, chuckling as a finger ran down the center of Vincent's naked back sending a shiver down his body. "Especially in such a…revealing attire."

"I'm not wearing this for your entertainment," Vincent said turning quickly and doing his best to glare up at the man who seemed unfazed by his gaze, eyes focused downwards on his crotch before sliding up to look at his red eyes. "So refrain from touching me."

"So it's fine as long as I don't touch, is it?" Sephiroth's hands rested down on the sink to either side of Vincent's hips as he leaned closer to him. He felt his breath catch as he tried to look away from Sephiroth's green eyes, his body leaning back against the sink as much as he could. Vincent flinched clenching his eyes shut when the other leaned closer to him. He didn't feel anything but the breath of Sephiroth's whisper into his ear as he spoke making him shiver. "Then you won't mind giving me a private lap dance tomorrow night."

Sephiroth's hips pressed forward suddenly choking a surprised groan from Vincent's lips before he could stop himself. "Hm, that sounds really good," he said biting one of Vincent's ears, his hands sliding down behind Vincent to cup his ass. "Does your boyfriend enjoy hearing that sound too?" Sephiroth started grinding against him forcing a gasp to escape from Vincent's lips. It took all of his strength to push Sephiroth off of him, his body shaking as he stared at the man with shock, holding onto the sink to try and stop the weakening in his legs.

Sephiroth stepped back further giving him his personal space again as he smirked and stared at Vincent's red cheeks before he could turn his head away to hide it. With the space growing between them, Vincent regained some of his confidence as he glared at Sephiroth. "D-Don't…Don't touch me."

"That's fine for now," Sephiroth said already starting for the door. "Because tomorrow, I plan on letting you do all the touching." He paused at the door, his hand on the handle before he looked back at Vincent smirking. "I'm really looking forward to it." His eyes intentionally ran up and down Vincent's body making the man tense up before he left, the door shutting behind him quietly.

Vincent barely managed to take himself back into the main room before letting his ass collapse back on the couch. Was the man sick? Expecting him to do something like that when he had Cid? Hell, even doing something like that with Cid in the same building was just wrong. How was he going to work this out? How could he even tell Cid that Sephiroth planned on making him give a lap dance without Cid trying to run kill the man? But he'd already said he wouldn't lie anymore…yet there was no way he could say anything about this. He hadn't even said anything about the kiss Sephiroth forced on him back at the party.

By now he was sure that Yuffie would be looking for him. He'd been gone a while. He wasn't even sure how long it had been. He started to the door and was about to open it when someone beat him to it, the door opening fast making his eyes widen when he saw Cid's blue eyes staring back at him just as surprised.

"…Cid?" He didn't even get the chance to ask why he was there as the other man grabbed him quickly pulling him into a tight hug.

"I saw him leaving out when I was heading back. That bastard didn't do anything did he?" Cid must have picked up on the fact when he'd originally seen Vincent heading for the locker room. Vincent shook his head to let him know nothing happened, even though he hugged Cid's sweat slick body to his own bare chest tighter pulling strength from him. Tomorrow…there was no way he was looking forward to tomorrow. Not with Sephiroth smiling down at him gleefully in anticipation. He hadn't even done something like that to Cid, much less to a man he was finding himself despising more every passing day.

He forced himself to let Cid go which must have been a signal for Cid as he released him looking up at him with seemingly brighter blue eyes before he walked past him. "Damn people were trying to give me a heart attack. I'm sweating up a fucking storm." Vincent turned around watching Cid walk over to his locker and pull out a towel wiping his face. He stared off into space for a moment leaving Vincent captivated with his spaced out feature before he seemed to pick up on the red eyes staring at him and looked over at Vincent suddenly. "Guess I'll get a quick shower while I'm in here." A smirk appeared on his lips after he said the words making it easy for Vincent to pick up on what he was going to say next. "You can always join-"

"I have to get back to work," Vincent said turning his back on him quickly, especially when he saw Cid teasingly tugging down what was left of his limited outfit, a pair of sexy, dark blue thongs. And with the sweat and oil shining on every skin of his body, he was going to have a hard time concentrating the rest of his time in the kitchen. At least it helped push the thought of Sephiroth out of his head. But now he was going to have to fight images of putting whipped cream on Cid's body instead of the little tarts he was going to help make. He glanced back at the dejected look on Cid's face before he gave a soft smile to let him know he didn't mean anything by the words. "We can shower together once we get home."

"Promise?" Somehow the words seemed to hold more power to them than he'd expected. Nothing really changed. Even with Sephiroth hounding down on his neck, Cid was still willing to come home with him every night.

"I promise." Maybe the words meant the same thing to the blond because he was suddenly grinning a lot more brilliantly than before.

"Well I better shower and get out there to help play waiter to those fucking animals out there." That meant he'd be wearing the same outfit Vincent was wearing…which meant those shorts were going to look nice on that ass.

"I'm looking forward to it," Vincent said purposefully looking down at Cid's crotch before he slipped out of the locker room. He wasn't going to lie and say his pants didn't feel just a little bit tighter than before. He was, however, going to hope that no one took notice of it as he headed his way back to the kitchen. He just needed to finish out the rest of this day then he could spend the rest of it at home with Cid. With a few more hours left to go, it was just becoming a wait for the countdown.

TBC….


	22. Chapter 22

Warnings: Yummy foods, college drinking, swearing, implied sex

Pairings: Cid/Vincent

Author's note: Took me a while. x.x I'm been really lagging on these story updates. My apologies! DX

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Culinary Boy 20

"Tomorrow, I plan on letting you do all of the touching."

The words had been stuck in Vincent's head the whole way home. He wasn't looking forward to tomorrow, not at all. It wasn't helping that he could still feel the weight of the other's body pressed against him. A lap dance. Was he really supposed to do a lap dance for Sephiroth? Was that man insane?

But he couldn't deny that his body did, against his will, respond to the other man's aggression. For that brief moment, he'd been completely overpowered, completely overthrown. From the hardness pressing hard against him to the firm grip on his ass, he almost lost control. He'd been weak to the point he'd barely been able to stand. And that was just from a short moment in the locker room. What would he have done if Sephiroth had actually kissed him? Or worse…what if he had done more?

He bit his lips thinking about the kiss that happened back in Sephiroth's room at the party. He hated himself for admitting it, but it had been a good kiss. It helped that Sephiroth wasn't a bad looking guy either. Still, he could never compare it to Cid's kisses. Thanks to the Cid's sexy performance on stage that Vincent hadn't finished watching, he could only find himself being totally jealous as he saw the eyes of men and women alike staring at his boyfriend's ass while he walked around taking their orders. It didn't help that they seemed completely unfazed by Cid's angry retort whenever someone would smack him on his ass. He couldn't understand what it was that he was feeling at that moment, but he wanted to completely dominate that body and claim it for his own just to prove that Cid belonged to him. And then right afterwards, he wanted Cid to claim him back in return.

Besides, unlike Sephiroth, Cid had a way of making his insides want to melt away like butter. From his chiseled chest to his muscled back, the alluring smell of cigarettes that smelled so unique to him. The tight ass that looked like it could clench iron and mold it into a perfect circle. The way he seemed to reach those places deep inside Vincent with hard, meaningful thrust, enough to make him moan out loudly and clench up around him. He could make him groan, make him beg for more each time that he hit against his spot and pushing him closer and closer until he-

"FUUUCCKKK!" Hands gripped his hips with bruising tightness as Cid groaned out beneath him breathing hard. He wasn't alone in that aspect as Vincent was panting pretty heavily too, his hands resting on Cid's shoulders as he stared down at him dripping with sweat, ebony hair sticking to his face. His body was still quivering in the wake of his own raging climax. He could feel the blue eyes staring up at him and looked down at Cid meeting his gaze and trying not to think about the fact that he'd actually been the one to initiate the intimate act. Of course it was really Cid's fault for coming home and showing him some of the provocative dance moves he'd learned.

He seriously didn't even want to move now, his body too comfortable right where it was even if the other was just as sweaty as he was. But he needed to clean up at least enough to sleep comfortably. It didn't take him long to grab a couple of wet rags from the bathroom, handing one to Cid before using one on himself and trying not to notice how he felt Cid's eyes watching his body. No, it wasn't just that. Cid had been watching him extra carefully since they left that night. Sure, neither had run into Sephiroth again but Cid had obviously picked up on Vincent's lack of focus since that particular meeting.

"You got a little intense tonight," Cid said smirking at him despite the worried looked in his eyes. "Is it because it's been a while since we done it? Or is there some other reason?"

"…No other reason I can think of other than you should wear tiny shorts more often." Cid frowned making a face at that thought.

"I seriously can't figure out what people see in them…or see about me in them any fucking way." He slid over lifting the sheets to invite Vincent's naked form to join him. All Vincent could do was oblige, a soft smile on his face as he slide in closer to Cid resting his hand on his now damp chest.

"Maybe it's how tight it clings to your butt?"

Cid lifted a brow looking down at him before he snorted. "If anything, I think it looks better on your ass. It gives me a lot to stare at anyway, even if I don't agree with everyone else staring at it too." That was something they both could agree on. Cid grinned as he stared up at the ceiling. "At least it's a workout. I can't just sit around getting fat off your food and not working it off some kind of way."

Vincent nodded closing his eyes, the silence in the room lapsing before he broke it with his next words. "I guess it could be a nice workout for you…Mr. Mechanic." Cid sat up staring down at him before he suddenly just burst out laughing. It was a little infectious because it had Vincent laughing right along with him.

"Fuck…haha…sorry." Cid was still chuckling when he said that using his hand to wipe the laughter tears from his eyes. "I'm just not used to you making so many jokes in a row like that." He smiled down at Vincent making the taller male's laughter die down as well. "My influences must be brushing off on you." His smile turned into a large cocky grin, but Vincent didn't give him the chance to gloat on it as he pulled him back down kissing his lips and literally feeling the smile disappear from Cid's face as he responded with interest.

It wasn't a question of whether they did it again but of how many times they did it that night. And possibly that morning too. Honestly, Vincent had lost count himself. However, if anyone noticed how much he seemed to glow the next morning standing at the stove and making breakfast for everyone, they didn't say anything. Well, it was only Rude and Cloud downstairs with him at the time anyway. The blond kept glancing in his direction but besides Vincent giving him a blank stare in return, he got nothing out of him.

He was sure Cloud knew what happened last night. They were neighbors in a way after all. Besides the fact that Vincent wasn't by any means quiet last night, which was something compared to his normally quiet manner. It also meant something if Cid was still asleep right now, worn out from the everlasting pleasure he provided Vincent with last night before passing out from exhaustion. He was definitely going to make him a big breakfast before he woke up so he could get his energy back.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Pancakes, Sausage, and Eggs made up today's big meal along with a large glass of delicious store bought Orange juice. At the sound of someone coming down the steps, Vincent looked back expectantly hoping for Cid to come through the kitchen door. Instead he was greeted by Zack's unnatural bed hair…which barely looked any more different from his normal style. He was going to have to start wondering if Zack just stuck his finger in an outlet in the mornings to get his hair like that. Not that Cloud's was that much better but at least his was manageable and only seemed to enhance his cute nature.

"Smells good in here," Zack said smirking as he went over sitting beside Cloud at the table. A semi warm cup of coffee was already sitting in his place curtesy of Cloud. How the guy could drink the stuff when it'd been sitting out for a while was beyond Vincent though. He started scrambling eggs when the feel of eyes watching him distracted him enough that he turned around looking at the two at the table that had obviously been staring at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," Zack said sipping the cold coffee and looking at him at the same time looking like he was grinning behind the cup's rim. Cloud averted his eyes but he kept glancing at him, nervously tapping his fingers on the table. "Just wondering how you're moving around so easily right now after going at it all night. I swear you were moaning to the point our neighbors probably heard it." Vincent dropped the spatula at his words and cursed when he quickly reached down to grab the rubber handle before it could start melting on the edge of the piping hot skillet. He could hear Rude snickering under his breath even though a glance at the man showed him reading a newspaper like he'd never made a sound.

"You're blushing," Zack said continuing his torture, grinning and enjoying this far too much at Vincent's expense. "I never knew I could get you this flustered!"

"…." He was so close to getting ready to throw the spatula at him that it took him holding the counter and taking a deep breath to finally calm himself. He was fine. It didn't matter what they said, he wasn't going to let it get to him. Besides, Zack and Cloud hadn't been exactly quiet themselves a couple of nights ago.

"What the hell are ya guys talking about in here?" Cid said coming in with evident bed hair and completely bad timing in Vincent's opinion as he felt his cheeks heat up even more.

"N-Nothing…" He said it quick, his voice low as he started bringing the finished plates to the table ignoring the confused look on Cid's face as the man sat down at the table. Zack didn't tease him anymore now, especially as Reno came in to join them. But it didn't stop him from grinning across the table occasionally in his direction or that Cloud would blush and look down at the table whenever he met Vincent's eyes. Damn Prick and his accomplice.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He honestly was not ready to find himself back at 7th Heaven again, not after the disaster of meeting Sephiroth and the prospect of what he had to do tonight. He would have stayed home if it weren't for the fact that he didn't want Cid coming here alone. Well that and the fact that he had a feeling Sephiroth would just show up at the house instead. Still, just because Sephiroth said that about a lap dance didn't mean he had to do it. He thought about it hard while they got ready for work. They'd probably have him start working in the kitchen today since he was supposed to have been hired as a cook. If Sephiroth really did call for him, he'd just say he was too busy. He'd be learning from the other cooks on what their specialties were.

Apparently, each cook had a special thing they made which, with the right price, could be made especially for selected guest. He only learned about that yesterday with the short amount of time he'd been in the kitchen before Cid's dance and Sephiroth's assault in the locker room. Did he do this to other workers as well? He wondered.

"Ah!" He jumped feeling Cid slap his ass, blushing red as he looked around the locker room even though it was just the two of them left now.

"Zoning out a bit much aren't ya?"

"Sorry," Vincent said looking away from him. His thoughts were mostly on keeping himself intact tonight and staying firm. He should at least be happy that Sephiroth hadn't made him become a stripper. At least he seemed to uphold to the fact that Vincent wanted to be a chef of all things. "Oh." He looked at Cid smiling a bit seeing the confused look returned to him before he continued. "Apparently I need to come up with a dish for special guest at the club to eat."

"Hmm…" Cid frowned a bit rubbing at his chin before he looked up at him again. "Does it have to be a certain type a dish?"

"It can be anything. Desserts, entrée, appetizer, even a drink if you know what you're doing."

"Then what about that brownie you made over vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate sauce and whipped cream?" It'd been one of his more recent dessert meals he'd tried with the group of their housemates. From the fact that the plate was empty within seconds to the fact that even usually silent Rude had complimented it must have meant it was good. It wasn't a bad idea.

"I'll try that," Vincent said before he blinked in surprise finding Cid's lips against his. It ended too quickly for him as Cid pulled back, that big grin on his face leaving Vincent staring at him dreamily. But he didn't get to savor it long as he turned Vincent around popping his ass to make him move towards the door.

"Good. Now get the fuck out there and get to work before I end up popping a boner." Rubbing his butt, Vincent nodded heading out the door first with Cid right behind him. Strange that he was already slowly starting to get used to the outfit after only wearing it for a day. It still sucked to have to deal with getting his ass grabbed all night. Well with his luck, he'd get to stay in the kitchen the majority of the time. At least he wasn't the only one dealing with the harassment. Though he swore that if anyone so much as made a grab for his crotch, he was punching them.

In the kitchen the other cooks were already busy slaving away over the stoves getting ingredients needed for the orders already being put in. The club just opened up and already they had their hands full with orders. He spent most of his time following the head chef Dio around the kitchen watching his every move in what they cooked and how they prepared it. His mind took the notes for him taking account of his much of each ingredient was really needed for the foods prepared.

"It's not hard," Dio said looking over at him and smiling. "But then again, from the skills I hear you have, this shouldn't be a problem at all."

"I'm no pro," Vincent said quickly. He wasn't an expert cook. He didn't think he was anyway. Otherwise, why would he be paying for school?

"Well, have you thought about what you want to make as your specialty?" The older chef turned around resting his back against the counter. He folded his arms staring down at Vincent waiting for an answer. Vincent hadn't been around the man that long, but it was long enough to learn some of the basics about him. Like how he was only working here because Sephiroth requested it. Vincent wondered if maybe the man was being blackmailed too. Hell, how many others were being blackmailed into working in this place?

"…Ice Cream Brownies," Vincent said. When the older man lifted a brow, he cleared his throat continuing on as he looked away towards the nearest wall. The guy had a way of intimidating a person even if he wasn't trying to. "It's…a brownie on top of ice cream covered in chocolate sauce and whipped cream."

"Heh, for this kind of place that sounds pretty appropriate," a brown haired male by the name of Biggs said as he walked over. Whether it was his real name or not, Vincent couldn't figure it out. He'd met him yesterday learning that he was the secondary chef under Dio, and that was usually only in the case that Dio wasn't there. He wasn't old looking the same age as Vincent, but it was obvious he had a lot of experience under his belt considering he did help out a lot of the other chefs there. "Please tell me that the name for it isn't going to be just Ice Cream Brownies."

"…." Well…what was wrong with just calling it what it was? At least people would understand exactly what they were getting.

"Oh boy," Biggs said slapping a hand against the headband wrapped around his forehead. "He may have skills but I'm not so sure about the creative part. Seriously, he'd call Spaghetti just that on the menu."

"...I wouldn't say he's not creative," Dio said laughing a little as he reached out patting Vincent's bare back. "But he does need some work when it comes to naming his creations."

"Come on, you can make up a better name. Like Lover's Gush, or Chocolate Meltdown, or something."

"Tell you what…" Dio wrapped an arm around Vincent's shoulder leading him to an empty part of the kitchen that would serve to be his space of work soon so he'd been told. "Go ahead and make a couple of them for us. By the time you finish making it I want you to have a name ready for it."

Vincent sighed staring at his empty work station as he was left alone to work on his masterpiece. This was going to be a pain in the ass.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Come up with a name for it. So much easier said than done. Vincent frowned hearing the beep of the timer going off to let him know the brownies were done. He walked over taking it from the stove and sitting it to the side to let it cool, as he grabbed two saucers sitting them down and trying not to think about how erotic Cid had made this look when he'd ate it. Ugh, the last thing he needed was to pitch a tent in the middle of working. Especially while wearing such little shorts.

"Whoa, that actually does look pretty good," Biggs said coming to stand beside him and whistling staring down at the finished product with chocolate and whipped cream drizzled all over it. "It smells good too. Came up with a name for it yet?"

"…Tiny Bronco Brownies…." Sure, it was a borrowed name but it seemed appropriate to name them after Cid's namesake seeing as Cid was the one in his mind while he made this. He wondered what Cid would think if he knew Vincent had named the brownies after his precious baby.

"Sounds good." Biggs reached down grabbing one of the saucers and lifted it up to inspect it. "But what if we take the Tiny off and just call them Bronco Brownies." He winked when Vincent looked over at him with a lifted brow. "Wouldn't want to mislead our customers into thinking they were…tiny."

"Mmm…I guess," Vincent said picking up the other saucer. They couldn't sit to long like this or else the ice cream would melt. "I'll take this one to Dio."

"No need," Biggs interrupted shaking his head. "We're going to share this one here." He pointed a finger to the one in Vincent's hand. "Take that one up to room 230 for taste testing. Because despite what we say, that's where the official decision will be made."

"…Room 230?" He didn't even know this place had a second level.

"The elevator's in the same hall as the locker rooms. Just deliver this there and come right back. We're going to need some help with a big party group that's coming in later."

Biggs gave Vincent a tray to roll the plate on along with ice beneath it to keep the ice cream from melting too much. It seemed a little obsessive, especially since there was only one tiny thing on the tray, his Bronco Brownie which had been covered up to hide it from the eyes of others watching. Going along the back of the wall towards the locker room seemed much easier than trying to go through the crowd of cheering people and molesters. Aerith was up on the stage now, and had apparently acquired quite a crowd herself. He tried not to blush when he saw her innocently starting to remove her top, and instead focused on the route to the back.

There were a few more people moving around back here, some just getting off from break. A lot of them were new faces to him that he assumed didn't work yesterday. He didn't try to look for Cid, too worried about getting too excited at the sight of him. By now he was sure the other was coated in sweat from having to walk around and take orders. As far as he knew, he didn't have to dance tonight. That didn't mean things wouldn't change.

He found the elevator easily, waiting for it to come back down to the first floor. He gave a glance to the two guards standing beside it that didn't seem to even acknowledge his presence except for a small glance in his direction. As the elevator dinged and the doors opened, he tensed up seeing Shera standing inside looking just as surprised as he did to see her there. She didn't make to step out though, instead holding the door open button to give him time to maneuver the cart inside.

It felt awkward to be in the same space as Cid's ex-girlfriend. The girl was quiet standing beside him but he felt like she was looking at him, watching him. He tried not to let it bother him, even though his grip tightened on the cart's handle. She knew he was Cid's boyfriend. How could she not after catching the two of them kissing in front of 7th Heaven.

The sound of the elevator reaching the second floor drew his attention and made him feel more than just a little relieved as the doors opened and he started to push the cart out.

"Wait!" His wrist was grabbed, the halfway out the elevator as Vincent blinked looking down at her.

She looked just about as surprised as he had at her sudden actions. But she didn't let go, instead looking determined to speak as she looked up at him. The elevator didn't move since it was kept open by the cart sitting in its path. She had time. Whatever it was she wanted to say, she had plenty of time.

"H…How long?" She asked, finally managing to get her words out. "How long have you two…?"

"…A while now," Vincent said leaving it at that. It wasn't any of her business anyway. "Sorry, but I'm kind of business right now." He started to push the cart out before her voice stopped him.

"You know, he used to talk about you a lot," she said looking away from him, a somber smile on her lips.

Vincent blinked pausing and looking back at her. "…Cid did?"

"He told me how he used to always watch you back in high school, how he didn't have the balls, so he said, to actually talk to you. Though apparently, he could never seem to get your name right." Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes but she seemed to fight it holding her fists at her side. "I got tired of always hearing him talk about you. That's why I-" She didn't speaking any further on it than that, looking off to the side and fixing her glasses. "Sorry. Anyway, you have something you have to take care of, right? I won't hold you up."

"…Thanks," Vincent said walking out of the elevator. He didn't say anything as the doors closed behind him. He didn't really know what else he could say. Multiple thoughts were going through his head, from the fact that Shera said that Cid had thought about him since high school to the last sentence she left unfinished. What had she done that she couldn't talk about? What had made Cid so upset before that just the mentioning of her name would put him in a foul mood? Since working there, he hadn't really seen Cid talk to her other than a passing word of greeting. And yet he recalled that whenever he did see her, her eyes were always on Cid. Did she still like him? Well, it wasn't like he was planning on giving him up to her, regardless of how she felt, not while he still had Cid's heart.

Shaking his head, Vincent pushed the cart all the way down to the end stopping in front of room 230 before giving a knock. There was no response and he gave another knock before he pushed the door open walking backwards as he pulled the cart in behind him. "Pardon my intrusion. I was told to bring this up for test tasting and I want to avoid it from melting any further."

He paused as he turned and looked around the room frowning at the emptiness. He was a little surprised at the size of the room that resembled a small apartment. At the center of the room was a large table, big enough to fit eight people around it comfortably. There was also a small couch facing a TV off to the side. Down the hall he saw an open door leading to another room that looked like a bedroom from the sight of the bed peeking out at him. He assumed that further down the hall there was another room that had a bathroom inside of it.

Did that mean someone was staying here?

He turned quickly at the sound of the door closing behind him, his eyes going wide as he took a step back swallowing slightly. The smug smirk staring back at him didn't seem to have any regrets in its actions, a hand reaching down to twist the key in the lock before pulling it free effectively keeping anyone else from entering or exiting without permission.

"It looks like it's time for you to show me how well you can perform," Sephiroth said slipping the key out of sight into his jacket before he started making his way towards Vincent. He'd meant to avoid Sephiroth as long as possible. He hadn't expected to walk right into the man's lair. With the platinum haired male walking in his direction, green eyes staring like he'd found the perfect meat, he could only imagine what Sephiroth had in store for him. "Now…let's give this delicious treat a taste."

TBC…


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a very very long time but I finally finished the next chapter. DX Sorry for the long delay. Hope you enjoy it.

"It looks like it's time for you to show me how well you can perform. Now…let's give this delicious treat a taste." Vincent frowned staring at Sephiroth keeping his eyes on the man. His hands reached back gripping the edge of the table he was leaning back against as the owner of 7th Heaven got closer to him, body tensing up with the fear of what might be about to happen. The smirk on Sephiroth's face showed he felt amused by the situation, or aroused by the way his eyes were feeding itself up and down Vincent's body. Running was out of the question, not with the key to the door hidden somewhere in Sephiroth's clothing.

Vincent thought he'd be pinned against the table unable to move. That Sephiroth would proceed to have his way with him leaving Vincent to have to fight against him. Instead, Sephiroth moved past him pulling out a chair on the opposite side of him as he sat down. Vincent turned quickly in surprise at the sound of the chair being slid out to find a pair of green eyes staring back at him expectantly.

"Well? Aren't you supposed to be bringing me something to taste?" Vincent stared at him suspiciously, frowning seeing nothing but a professional look staring back at him. Whatever cocky expression he'd had on his face earlier was gone, replaced by a calm neutral look. Test Taste…did he mean the Bronco Brownie?

Cautiously keeping an eye on him, Vincent reached down removing the cover as he carried the dessert to Sephiroth keeping as far a distance as he could as he placed the saucer down in front of him. Sephiroth's eyes seemed to light up a bit seeing the sugary treat in front of him.

"It is good," Sephiroth said after tasting it looking more professional than any time in the past. "However, transporting it like this does still make it soggy." He pushed the saucer back looking up at him. It took everything Vincent had not to step back. "Is it easy to put together?"

Vincent hesitated before answering. Strange. He didn't think it was possible for them to have a regular conversation. "Yes, once the brownies are finished. It is possible to save the toppings until last. The ice cream doesn't need to go on right away."

"Interesting. It could make for better entertainment for the private shows. Watching the treat being put together could make things a little more…worth their wild." Vincent lifted a brow. Private shows? Honestly, he didn't even want to know. "Each private room has their own fridge along with a bed for those willing to pay a little extra to stay. Making it fresh for these rooms would be ideal." There was something not right about the look Sephiroth gave him. "Though I'd hate to have to share you, your intriguing looks could help make us a lot of money."

Vincent tensed up glancing at the locked door before glaring at Sephiroth. "You're insane," he said.

"You might be right," Sephiroth said leaning back in the chair like a king staring at his servant, his legs spread wide enough to draw Vincent's eyes to his crotch seeing the imprint of the door key pressing against the hard leather. "But you won't to be able to get out of here without the key to the door."

Vincent swallowed letting his eyes slide back up to his face. He'd rather just stand there all night than climb up on Sephiroth's lap and perform for him. Maybe his thoughts on it showed on his face because despite the deep, chuckle coming from his throat, the shine in Sephiroth's eyes felt sinister.

"You don't seem to care much for your partner, do you?"

Vincent blinked staring at him anxiously. "What do you mean?"

"I said it before, did I not?" Sephiroth narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Accidents do happen." It felt like cold sweat was sliding down Vincent's bare back as he stared back at Sephiroth with slightly widened eyes. When he didn't respond, Sephiroth reached into his shirt pocket pulling his phone free and taking a moment to dial a number before putting it to his ear. "Yes…yes…I have another one for you to take care of…yes…blond with blue eyes…make it look like an accident-"

"Wait!" Vincent sighed closing his eyes clenching his hands into fists. "I'll…I'll do it." Sephiroth could have easily have been bluffing but he had that particular smirk on his face that let Vincent know he was serious. "I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"…Cancel that last order," Sephiroth said staring at Vincent, his eyes sliding down Vincent's body like he was surveying his prize. When their eyes met it was like staring into the eyes of Diablos himself. "Come here." He patted his leg as he said it like he was giving a dog a command. Considering Vincent's current predicament, he might as well have been.

It took a lot of work to make his legs move not believing this was happening. There was no way he was playing along with this game. But if he didn't go with it, Cid would be in danger. He looked up at Sephiroth trying not to look as upset as he felt.

"…What do you want me to do?"

"It's a simple task today," the platinum haired man said making it sound so simple. "The only thing you have to do is get the key." Today…what else would he make him do after today? How long would he have to put up with this?

He closed his eyes taking a deep breath before opening them again. It would be ok. He just needed to get the key. If he didn't watch, he'd be ok. He leaned in hovering his face over Sephiroth's shoulder as he reached down letting his shaky hands unbutton the pants. He tried not to let his blushing cheeks show as he heard the zipper being undone. He held his breath pausing before reaching inside searching for the key while doing his best to ignore the feel of heat on his fingers.

Sephiroth gave an appreciative hum, his body responding to the touch. The response wasn't helping Vincent get a grip on the key as it kept stretching out of his reach. The more persistent his fingers got the more excited Sephiroth seemed to get. A gasp escaped from Vincent's lips when a hand grabbed his butt, his body going tense. When Vincent opened his mouth to protest, fingers slipped inside coated in whipped cream and flooding his taste buds. He swallowed before he had a chance to think about it tasting a horrible aftertaste before turning his head to the side to force the fingers to slip from his lips.

"S-Stop…" He whispered lowly as he started to lean back from the touch only for Sephiroth to use both hands to grip him tighter pulling him closer. His eyes went wide, concentration lost to him when he felt the shorts starting to be pushed down. He struggled in panic, gasping when he felt air hitting his bared rump before Sephiroth's hands started to touch him again. The bad thing was that his body was starting to feel hot, his skin tingling just from the small touch. It felt wrong. It felt dirty and completely wrong. But his couldn't get his body to deny how good it felt.

"You could easily get out of your debt," Sephiroth said leaning in and licking his tongue against Vincent's neck as his fingers gripped Vincent's pale butt tighter. "Just agree to be mine forever and I'll drop everything you owe me plus promise to keep both your family and your soon to be former boyfriend safe." He could hear the words but it was hard for him to think, no it was hard for him to even speak as his breath came out in hot pants. He felt like he was on fire.

"Too busy playing to notice you have a guest, hm?" Vincent tensed up slightly but Sephiroth just gave out a frustrated sigh as he cut his eyes over to the person standing by the door. Vincent's glazed eyes slid over to the door seeing the blond head thinking for a moment that Cid had come to rescue him until he focused longer seeing someone completely different. The young male standing tall by the door glanced at him briefly, a lack of care on his face before he returned his attention to Sephiroth. "Did you forget we had a meeting tonight?"

"It's not my fault you decided to show up early and just walk right in," Sephiroth said squeezing Vincent's ass one more time before he released him to Vincent's relief, reaching down to fix his pants. It would have been even better if he could have moved but his legs were so weak the only thing he could do was lean on Sephiroth and suffer through the burning heat rushing through his body. What had Sephiroth given him? "You have no idea what fun you've just ruined for me." As Sephiroth moved, Vincent felt himself being lifted up as he was carried into the extra room and laid down on the bed. He was surprised at the care Sephiroth took in laying him down as if he didn't want to break his special gem.

Vincent's eyes moved to look up at him, his breaths still coming in short pants as heat kept coursing through his body. He was burning up. He really felt like whatever Sephiroth made him swallow was killing him. His bare chest was covered in a light sheen of sweat. His body felt like it was on fire, hands sliding down between his legs as he closed his thighs around them trembling as he shut his eyes groaning out. He needed something. He didn't know what it was but his body was craving something that was being denied to him.

"Beautiful…." His eyes opened up again at the words finding Sephiroth standing over him staring at his body as a whole. "I can't wait to feast upon this delicious meal." His hand reached down hovering over Vincent's stomach making his breaths come out faster in anticipation to the touch before it drew back again hesitantly. "Stay here." Sephiroth turned his back on him as he started to the door. "We will continue this once the meeting is done." He left the room closing the door behind him leaving Vincent's heated body to suffer through the effects of the drugs. It almost hurt how much he needed release, his crotch throbbing beneath his hands not seeming to find any relief. His skin was sensitive to the touch and made it hard for him to focus. Even just lying against the bed seemed like torture to him.

One thing was certain though. He couldn't stay here. If he stayed here, there was no telling what Sephiroth would do to him. So despite the struggle, despite how lethargically his body moved, he forced himself to roll out of the bed and took his time as he worked crawled one space at a time towards the door. By the time he got to the bedroom door he was a sweaty mess. His arms trembled under his weight. It took everything he had to reach up and turn the door knob freeing him from the room as he tumbled out laying there panting on the floor.

He expected Sephiroth to come rushing over and forcing him back into the room but when he glanced around he found the room to be empty. Sephiroth was nowhere in sight. Neither was the blond guy from before. It was a good sign because it meant he had an opportunity to get out of this mess. It was slow going but he made his way to the door sliding his body along the floor, his throat dry as he swallowed seeing his vision swirl. He was thirsty. With how much he'd been sweating, he wouldn't be surprised if his body was dehydrating. It didn't help that his skin still felt like it was burning. He needed to get out of here and get help.

He paused in front of the door before gathering his strength pulling himself up using the door knob before he turned it only for it to give little resistance as he froze. Locked. He forgot that Sephiroth could lock it. He hadn't been able to obtain the key earlier. How was he going to get out of here?

Vincent leaned up against the door heavily as he struggled for breath swallowing hard as his head rolled back and forth. The hell was he supposed to do now? A sudden bang on the door jolted him before he heard the familiar voice yelling from the other side.

"Asshole, I know you're in there! Open up this damn door!"

"Cid?" It was a lot of work to speak, his voice sounding haggard to his ears. But he couldn't help feeling relief in his body at the sound of the other man's voice. Cid was here.

"Vincent? God damn it, I knew he must have done something! Are you ok?"

"I…I feel funny," Vincent said closing his eyes as he took another breath squirming against the door. "The door's locked…I can't get out."

"Shit!" Something banged on the door again and Vincent couldn't tell if Cid just kicked it, hit it, and banged his head against it. "Damn it, is that asshole in there with you?"

"No…he's….in a meeting…" He couldn't keep himself standing anymore as his weak legs went out on him making him fall to his knees. "He…gave me something my…body…it's burning up…" He panted closing his eyes, body trembling. "It's…hard to breathe…."

"Fuck…" There was a pause before Cid started talking again. "Watch out, I'm going to kick the door in." Vincent didn't respond except to crawl to the wall by the door leaning against it heavily. At first the door barely moved. Vincent thought he would give up, that maybe it was too sturdy to budge. But then Cid kicked at it again with more force, the metal beam the latch was inside of folding out a little from the force. Cid didn't stop and kept kicking the door until it swung wide open slamming into the wall that thankfully Vincent wasn't leaning against.

The short blond stepped inside looking around wildly, his face shining from the exertion of kicking the door in. "Vincent!" Vincent looked up at him, his body still trembling as he scratched his fingers against the floor panting harder. Cid stared down at him with wide eyes filled with worry and surprise before he kneeled down quickly beside him. "Vincent! What the hell did that bastard do to you?"

"Hot…Cid…it's hot…." Cid didn't hesitate to swoop him up in his arms, Vincent's head resting on his shoulder as he breathed hard on his neck sounding like he'd just run a marathon. His hands slid down over his crotch rubbing for the relief he still hadn't been able to obtain. He couldn't stop panting, couldn't stop the feeling that he needed more. His eyes slipped shut as he panted. In some ways it seemed to help calm him down a bit though he still felt like he was dying of thirst.

"Here, drink it." He felt the cool bottle being rested against his lips before he reached up holding it guzzling it even though the water escaped him spilling onto his body cooling his burning skin. When he opened his eyes he realized that Cid had went to Sephiroth's fridge and taken a bottle of water from it. Granted Vincent wasn't fond of Sephiroth at all, he was grateful that there was this fridge here to provide him with the much needed drink. Cid gave him another bottle and he was holding it guzzling it down just as quickly feeling like it helped to chill his body even if just for a little while. "Shit Vince…what the hell did he do to you?"

Cid continued to stare at him, his expression in more of a panic from the way Vincent reacted. He was in a rush as he picked him up cradling him close as he rushed from the room. Vincent closed his eyes at all the movement, his chest still rising and falling quickly. He didn't know where they were going but he trusted Cid. Cid's speed slowed to a stop before he cursed under his breath. "Shit, those guards are still by the elevator. I'm sure they know exactly what Sephiroth likes to do up here. And with you looking like this…." He turned around looking around before he was on the move again. "Sorry, Vince, but we're taking the stairs."

The door opened as Cid rushed down the stairs with loud stomps as he made his way to the bottom. Vincent heard the door open and the burst of cool air felt like a god sent blessing to his burning skin. He felt himself relaxing a bit though the urges running through his body didn't die down. Even when he tried pushing one the half empty bottle of cool water down against his crotch, it only seemed to make him want more. Why was he so horny? Just what did that drug do to him? He hated to think what would have happened if Sephiroth hadn't been called away for that meeting.

"Cid..." He was still panting. His eyes looking up at Cid watching the blue eyes look down at him. "I need…I need it." He swallowed to take a breath before he was panting again. "Cid…please…." Maybe with Cid's help, he could get it out of his system.

"Not yet," Cid moved closer to the alley's exit. "First we need to find someplace safe to hide. For now you just need to keep those ears covered. Shit, there's not much we can do to hide those eyes or teeth though." Teeth? Ears? He could understand hiding his eyes since he'd easily be recognized thanks to them. But what reason did he have to need to hide the other things? "Damn it, I'm going to kill that asshole when I see him next time!"

"Cid…?" He looked up at him but the other didn't seem to hear him as he walked out of the alleyway into the night street. There weren't many people walking around, most looking like drunks heading home. Well it was literally early into the morning. If you were out here at this time, you were either drunk, prostituting, or selling drugs. And at this point with the way the two of them were dressed, they probably looked like they were prostituting.

"There," Cid said suddenly before he picked up speed. "That's where she said to meet up. Just keep your face hidden against me. We can at least hide your ears with your hair. And she won't be able to see your teeth either." Teeth now? What the hell was going on? But Vincent did as he was told turning his head to press his face against Cid's chest, the other's scent not helping that strong desire. Cid slowed to a stop before he started talking, his voice vibrating down into his chest. "Thanks for the heads up and for meeting us out here."

"I figured you'd want to change out of those clothes before getting too far," the voice said sounding an awful lot like Shera. "Besides, I know that if someone is going up to the taste tester, there's going to be more than food being tried out." Vincent could hear her heels on the sidewalk as she came closer. "Is he ok?"

"For the most part," Cid said sounding frustrated. "Sephiroth gave him some kind of drug. I'm hoping it will wear off soon."

"Yeah he usually gives a supplement to his victims to get them in the mood."

"…Does it usually have any weird side effects?"

She paused humming lowly as if thinking about it. "Besides making the body hot and making you really want to make out, nothing else. At least that's what I've been told." Wanting to make out? Yeah…that sounded about right at this point. He'd even just flat out say he wanted to be fucked. His body, though it wasn't burning up like before, still wanted to be touched. It was still craving being taken by a strong man like Cid. It still desired to touch and be touched.

"Cid…" The thoughts were getting to him and he found himself gripping onto Cid's shirt.

"My…what long nails he has," Shera said suddenly. "I guess I never noticed them until now."

"Y-Yeah, he does the press on things sometimes." Cid sounded nervous as he reached up pulling the hand down tucking it against Vincent's chest. Were his nails really that long? Maybe he should have trimmed down. "Anyway, thanks for the help. You better get back inside before they find out you're missing."

"Oh, you're right." She walked closer and Vincent peeked up catching sight of her kissing Cid's cheek before he hid his face again frowning. "The two of you be safe, ok? Getting away from Sephiroth like this is not going to make him very happy."

"Thanks again. Be careful too. If he finds out you helped us…"

"I know I know. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Her feet clattered as she rushed away before she stopped. "Vincent, make sure to take good care of him! He's an idiot but he's got a big heart!"

"Who you calling an idiot?!" Her laughter rang out before it started to fade away as she moved away from him. "That damn girl," Cid mumbled before he pulled Vincent closer to him. "How you holding up?"

"…My body doesn't feel hot like it did before…." Vincent peeked up at him finding the blue eyes staring down at him. "But the urge to…make out, so she said, is still there…."

"I see," Cid said frowning down at him. "Well we can take care of it as soon as we get to a hotel."

Vincent tensed up at the words. "We're not going home?"

"He knows where we live. Hell, he practically owns the place. Going home right now would be stupid." That made sense. They were supposed to be avoiding Sephiroth not making it easy for him to find them. "Think you can stand up?"

Vincent thought about it before he slowly nodded his head feeling that sense of dizziness was gone too. Maybe the drugs were finally getting out of his system. But if that was the case, why did he still want to do it so badly? "I think so."

"Good. We'll stop at this alley here and slip into these clothes. Last thing we need to do is draw attention to the fact that two half naked men are walking down the street like hookers." Vincent chuckled at the words before he held on to Cid's shirt again catching sight of his nails. They were long…extraordinarily long. And sharp too. When did they get like this? They were nothing like this before.

"This should be fine," Cid said taking them into the darkness of the alley. He carefully sat Vincent down letting Vincent lean against the wall and not letting go until Vincent showed him he could stand without falling. Once he did let go he reached into the bag Shera had given him pulling out their clothes from the dressing room. Considering how tight their work shorts were, it was easy to just slip their pants up over them.

Vincent needed help to button his jeans though, not because of how weak his body still felt, but because the nails made it almost impossible to grip them. He tried to ignore how close Cid was too him, how just the simple brush of fingers against his stomach made him want to jump the other man. Cid also helped him to slip on the shirt, the blue eyes staring at him with that worried look still in place. Just what was it that Cid was seeing? Why was he still having such maddening desires? He was to the point he wouldn't have minded if Cid banged him right there in the alleyway.

"Vincent…seriously, what the hell did he do to you?" The words made him freeze up again, especially when he saw Cid reach out, fingers sliding past his face to rub at his ears. He'd thought that Sephiroth had only snuck a drug into his mouth. But was it possible that Sephiroth had done more to him? He brushed his tongue over his teeth forcing himself not to wince at the sharpness of his two incisors. Strange…they'd never been nowhere near that long or sharp before, much like his nails. He reached up to touch his ears feeling his eyes widen at how pointy they'd gotten. What the hell was happening to him?

Cid was watching him, watching his expression when he stared up at him in shock. "Cid?"

"It's not just that," Cid said before he took the goggles off his head placing it on Vincent covering over his eyes. "I doubt this will help much." He shook his head. "It's less noticeable anyway."

"What's less noticeable?"

"Your…eyes," Cid said frowning. "Your eyes aren't red anymore. They're yellow and seriously glowing."

"…Why are my eyes glowing? And why are they yellow?"

"I don't know," Cid said reaching up to brush Vincent's hair over his ears covering them again. "Either way, you'll see what I mean once we get to the hotel." As Cid started walking, Vincent carefully followed after him. His strength was definitely back but those strange urges were still there. He doubted he'd be letting Cid rest tonight, strange situation or not. If he didn't do something about his craving he was going to go crazy.

TBC…


End file.
